sec.78Consequences of failing to pay claimant

### sec.78 Consequences of failing to pay claimant This section applies if a respondent given a payment claim for a progress payment does not pay the amount owed to the claimant in full on or before the due date for the progress payment. The claimant may either— recover the unpaid portion of the amount owed from the respondent, as a debt owing to the claimant, in a court of competent jurisdiction; or apply for adjudication of the payment claim under part 4 . In addition to the action mentioned in subsection (2) , the claimant may give the respondent written notice of the claimant’s intention to suspend carrying out construction work, or supplying related goods and services, under the relevant construction contract under section 98 . The notice to suspend work must state that it is made under this Act. In this section— amount owed , to a claimant for a payment claim, means— if the respondent did not respond to the payment claim with a payment schedule as required under section 76 —the amount claimed under the payment claim; or if the respondent did respond to the payment claim with a payment schedule as required to do so under section 76 —the amount proposed to be paid under the payment schedule. (sec.78-ssec.1) This section applies if a respondent given a payment claim for a progress payment does not pay the amount owed to the claimant in full on or before the due date for the progress payment. (sec.78-ssec.2) The claimant may either— recover the unpaid portion of the amount owed from the respondent, as a debt owing to the claimant, in a court of competent jurisdiction; or apply for adjudication of the payment claim under part 4 . (sec.78-ssec.3) In addition to the action mentioned in subsection (2) , the claimant may give the respondent written notice of the claimant’s intention to suspend carrying out construction work, or supplying related goods and services, under the relevant construction contract under section 98 . (sec.78-ssec.4) The notice to suspend work must state that it is made under this Act. (sec.78-ssec.5) In this section— amount owed , to a claimant for a payment claim, means— if the respondent did not respond to the payment claim with a payment schedule as required under section 76 —the amount claimed under the payment claim; or if the respondent did respond to the payment claim with a payment schedule as required to do so under section 76 —the amount proposed to be paid under the payment schedule. - (a) recover the unpaid portion of the amount owed from the respondent, as a debt owing to the claimant, in a court of competent jurisdiction; or - (b) apply for adjudication of the payment claim under part 4 . - (a) if the respondent did not respond to the payment claim with a payment schedule as required under section 76 —the amount claimed under the payment claim; or - (b) if the respondent did respond to the payment claim with a payment schedule as required to do so under section 76 —the amount proposed to be paid under the payment schedule.