WF Force at odds with MPEC over pay

WICHITA FALLS, TX (RNN Texoma) - General Manager of the MPEC Michael Tipton tells us the Wichita Falls Force has missed a payment and there will be no hockey games this weekend until it is received.

Tipton said they have a contract with the team that states within five business days of a previous game they must make their payment in full by five p.m. That last game was Sunday, November 25th.

Tipton says with another game originally scheduled for Friday he moved that deadline to Thursday so they could plan and staff appropriately at the MPEC.

He said the force knew that and missed it, so they did not have access to the building Friday.

He adds they ended up giving them an extension making that payment due Friday at 6 p.m. which Tipton said they also missed .

Bill Davidson, USA Central Hockey League CEO, sent us this message confirming they have five business days to make their payments, but davidson said that fifth day is Friday. "Doesn’t make any sense to me? I’m just going by what our lease reads. I’ve paid every invoice given.”

Tipton said they do have a pending wire transfer. However, they are not accepting wire transfers from the Force because one was returned in the past.

Tipton said the team knows they must make their payment with a cashiers check.

While Friday night's game was cancelled because of a bus scheduling conflict, Tipton said the only way they will have games the rest of the weekend is if the Force makes their payment via cashiers check before noon Saturday. Tipton said he was told they are working to get that check.

Davidson said, "I've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to make this happen. It's tough when apparently the building doesn't want to have a partnership and relationship. The company running the building is wrong plain and simple. If we do not resolve something ASAP I will have to seek legal ramifications."

Tipton said they want to see the team succeed and hopes they can work it out.

He said it is nothing personal, adding they are an agent of Wichita Falls and tax payer dollars and are trying to be responsible with the city’s funds.

Copyright 2018 RNN Texoma. All rights reserved.