Norton Museum pushes to throw out phone provider’s countersuit
The museum says Verity Partners withheld the PIN needed to transfer service, effectively holding its phone system hostage.
Law and Crime
The Norton Museum of Art is seeking to dismiss a countersuit from its former phone provider, the latest turn in a dispute that began with claims the company held the museum’s phone system hostage.
The Florida museum filed its lawsuit against Verity Partners in October over its contract for telecommunications and network management services, arguing that the firm was withholding access to its PIN number to port its phone numbers to a new provider.
In December, the museum expanded the lawsuit by adding new statutory and contract claims. At the same time, the company’s defense attorneys moved to withdraw from the case over “irreconcilable differences.”
The museum said in its amended complaint that it received the PIN on November 25, more than eight months after first requesting it and only after the lawsuit was filed.
Paid subscribers can read the full document.
Court Documents: Norton Museum answers counterclaim
Records from U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Adam Schrader
The museum also added new allegations that Verity repeatedly failed to fix phone problems and sometimes stopped responding to service requests. The museum said these issues led it to seek a new telecommunications provider.
Verity then hit back at the museum in February, denied that it refused to provide the PIN or that its conduct violated federal number portability rules and instead accused the institution of breaching their long-running services agreement.
The firm asserted that the museum “missed and was late in making payments” and failed to provide timely cooperation and complete information required for Verity to perform its services. It also alleged that the museum’s October notice terminating telephone services triggered a contractual obligation to pay remaining monthly charges through the end of the service term.
According to the counterclaim, the museum failed to pay those termination fees. Verity is seeking damages, prejudgment and post-judgment interest and attorneys’ fees.
In a new filing, the Norton Museum pushes back on Verity Partners’ breach-of-contract claim. The museum does not dispute ending the service but denies that doing so triggered the fees Verity is seeking.
Norton Museum of Art’s phone provider countersues
The West Palm Beach museum in October accused Verity of violating federal law.
Adam Schrader
The filing largely avoids retelling the breakdown of the relationship. Instead, it argues the counterclaim itself falls short—saying Verity has not shown it is entitled to damages and that some of the losses it claims may be tied to its own conduct.
The museum is now asking the court to dismiss that counterclaim and award legal costs.
Follow along with other lawsuits at Urgent Matter's art lawsuit tracker.
Members Discussion