Unpaid bills: delays that are costing the local authority dearly
On the eve of the approval of the Collectivité’s accounts at the next territorial council meeting on Saturday, the Collectivité has been ordered by the administrative court to pay, without delay, the outstanding invoices of five companies and associations, amounting to more than €2.62 million. Legal costs relating to these cases total more than €15 , 000, not including interest on arrears.
The Local Authority’s service providers, whether they are businesses or organisations, are losing patience. Late payments or non-payment by the Collectivité for services provided to its departments or in the public interest are causing cash-flow problems and jeopardising the future of certain organisations, not to mention the provision of care for people in vulnerable situations or with disabilities. Despite several formal notices, invoices have remained unpaid since 2023, even though the Collectivité does not dispute either the provision of the services or the amount of the invoices. The service providers have had no choice but to take legal action to secure a favourable ruling.
Services affected
Verde SXM, the company responsible for the Grandes Cayes eco-site, has filed four claims totalling over €3 million, relating to waste collection and sorting, the transport of end-of-life vehicles, rubble and other materials to recycling facilities, etc. Part of the sum has been paid, but the local authority still owes more than €370,000. The same applies to Computech Technologies, which provides IT services to the local authority and is awaiting payment of 43 invoices – some dating back to 2023 – totalling €1.2 million. Embase, the company commissioned to build the local authority’s administrative centre, was claiming €2,000 for two unpaid invoices. The final bill for the Collectivité will amount to over €4,000, including late-payment interest, a fixed-rate recovery charge and legal costs.
More worryingly, the care of vulnerable people does not appear to be a priority for the Collectivité. The costs of caring for two Saint-Martinois in a medical care home in mainland France since 2017 have only been partially settled. The Collectivité owes more than €236,000 to the charity APF France Handicap, which manages the facility; this sum must be paid within one month, failing which a penalty of €50 per day of delay will apply. Finally, the Saint-Jean de Bosco association, which, as part of its child protection remit, manages 25 places in a family-based home care unit and provides support for five young adults, has had to take out a loan to cover its expenses. Its invoices from 2024 were not settled until 2025, and those from 2025 remain outstanding to the tune of €738,000… an amount which, once again, will be subject to additional charges.
The number of organisations facing this kind of situation is constantly growing. This raises the question: why does the Local Authority wait until it is taken to court before settling its bills? Settling them on time would avoid legal costs and interest, which will place an additional strain on the budget at the expense of initiatives that are more beneficial to the community.
