Senate files writ against former partner

Senate Computer Services has issued a writ against Datex Computers over an alleged dispute for consultancy which amounted to more than #23,000.

According to a writ seen by PC Dealer, Senate is suing consultancy firm Datex over debts, which have amounted to #23,323.81 in a claim going back over three years.

Joel Abramson, managing director of Senate Computer Services, claimed that payments were made when Senate was sub-contracted by Datex, but became sporadic as Senate's business expanded.

However, Martin Linder, Datex managing director, said: 'Datex will be defending the writ and shall be issuing a writ of its own.' Datex solicitors, CW Harwood, confirmed there will be a counter-claim.

Harbottle & Lewis, Senate's solicitors for the case, said Datex must serve its defence by 19 February. A representative of the solicitors said it expected its argument to consist of the company claiming Senate did not comply with the business agreement and had been diverting customers from Datex.

Senate claimed it only looked for its own additional customers when the debts from Datex started mounting up, and it had given Datex a full list of the invoices, the profit from which totalled about #500.

The venture between the consultancies began as a pooling of interests in September with Senate's contacts and Datex's finance.