CODELO sues Cité des Bâtisseurs over $200,000 payment dispute

The Sept-Îles-based housing development corporation, CODELO, has filed a civil lawsuit against the Baie-Comeau non-profit organization Cité des Bâtisseurs. CODELO claims it paid approximately $200,000 to the organization ‘by error’.

The dispute stems from requests made in 2024 for assistance with several community housing projects, including a 60-unit building on Comeau Street in Sept-Îles and a 65-unit project in Port-Cartier. According to court documents, no service contract was initially signed between the parties. While a flat-rate contract was reportedly established in October 2025 for the first building, CODELO disputes the payment method.

CODELO president Guy Berthe expressed refusal to pay fees based on a percentage of project value, advocating instead for a fee-based remuneration model. Despite this disagreement, the invoice of $214,627.63 was paid in February 2026, leading to the current legal action.