Grower Shippers Sue Quaker City Produce Over Non-Payment

The lawsuit alleges that Quaker City failed to pay the plaintiffs — produce suppliers to Quaker City — for the perishable agricultural commodities that the firm purchased from the produce shippers.

The Packer
Quaker City Produce, will close its doors on the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, 17 days after the death of company patriarch Jimmy Storey, according to The Produce News.
Quaker City Produce, will close its doors on the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, 17 days after the death of company patriarch Jimmy Storey, according to The Produce News.

Several grower-shippers are suing Philadelphia, Pa.-based Quaker City Produce Co. for failure to pay under the terms of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, according to The Packer.

The lawsuit, seeking more than $319,000, was filed Dec. 22 in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by Lodi, Calif.-based Reynolds Packing Co., Turlock, Calif.-based Turlock Fruit Co. Inc., Salinas, Calif.-based Growers Express LLC, Los Angeles, Calif.-based Eclipse Berry Farms LLC, Watsonville, Calif.-based Driscoll Strawberry Associates Inc. and Dos Palos, Calif..-based Legend Produce LLC.

The lawsuit alleges that Quaker City failed to pay the plaintiffs — produce suppliers to Quaker City — for the perishable agricultural commodities that the firm purchased from the produce shippers.

The plaintiffs, all sellers to the defendant, were under contractual agreements with the defendant in 2015, the complaint states, according to The Pennsylvania Record. In the agreement, it was stated that within 10 days of delivering the service or products stated, the defendant would provide payment in full. However, as each of the plaintiffs experienced, the defendant failed to uphold the contract and denied thousands of dollars in payment to the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs have attempted to contact the defendant, demanding the fulfillment of the contract's terms, but without success. They are suing the defendant for its breach of contract. 

The plaintiffs are seeking compensation for a total sum of $319,012.23 for all damages suffered, lost funding and legal fees. They are represented by Jeffrey M. Chebot of Whiteman, Banks and Chebot LLC in Philadelphia and by Rynn & Janowsky of Newport Beach, California.

Quaker City Produce, will close its doors on the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, 17 days after the death of company patriarch Jimmy Storey, according to The Produce News.

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