The Schubert Centre is being sued by an organization with the same namesake, claiming it is owed repayment of a loan made a decade ago.
The Schubert Foundation has taken the Schubert Centre Society to B.C. Supreme Court, looking to recoup a loan of $121,000 plus interest.
According to a notice of civil claim filed in Vernon court Wednesday, Jan. 29, the foundation 鈥� which conducts an arm of its business under the name Knights of Columbus 鈥� loaned the Schubert Centre Society $121,000 in April 2015.
The seniors centre agreed to repay the loan on demand and make annual interest payments at a rate of five per cent.
The Schubert Centre Society made its first partial interest payment in 2016 and then made interest payments ranging from $3,300 to $8,700 the following four years.
In 2021, the society requested to have its interest payment waived, and did not make an interest payment the following year. It made an interest payment in 2023 but again did not pay in 2024.
On Nov. 28, 2024, the foundation issued a formal demand for repayment of the loan in full, along with the amount of interest owed, in accordance with a promissory note executed in the original loan agreement.
"Despite (the foundation's) demand, the (society) has failed and refused to repay the loan and the outstanding interest, thereby breaching the terms of the agreement and promissory note," the lawsuit states.
The foundation is relying upon the terms of the promissory note in the case, which is dated April 16, 2015.
The foundation is seeking the full loan amount of $121,000, outstanding interest, costs and any further relief the court may see fit.
Both the Schubert Foundation and the Schubert Centre Society are based in Vernon. The foundation is described in the court documents as a charitable organization. The Schubert Centre describes itself on its website as a social community centre run primarily by volunteers to provide programs and activities for seniors in the community.
The Schubet Centre has long been a beloved hub for seniors in Vernon, but the centre has struggled financially in recent years. A campaign called Save the Schubert Centre sought to raise $1 million to get the Schubert Centre Society out of debt. That campaign was launched is 2021, which, according to the lawsuit, is the year the society requested having its upcoming interest payment waived. The campaign raised a paltry $4,000 towards that million-dollar goal.
The year before, the Schubert Centre needed a new furnace and sought to raise funds for the $130,000 replacement. Following an $11,000 donation, Schubert Centre's manager at the time said the centre was "still in great financial trouble."
The Schubert Centre Society has not yet responded to the notice of civil claim. It has 21 days from the date it was served the claim to do so.
The allegations in the lawsuit have yet to be proven in court.
