SAN BERNARDINO - A private investigator hired by Police Chief Keith Kilmer in 2009 to examine problems in the Police Department has filed a lawsuit against the city in an attempt to force the city to pay bills that City Hall's legal team says are unwarranted.

The case was filed Tuesday in San Bernardino Superior Court. The investigator, William Schneid, began work for Kilmer in June 2009. The city has thus far paid Schneid about $22,000, but his lawsuit claims he is still owed nearly $39,000.

The suit alleges that the city has broken an oral contract with Schneid by refusing to pay remaining bills.

Schneid's work included the investigation of a police sergeant who has been accused of illegally detaining individuals without probable cause and stealing Police Department funds.

There was no written contract between Schneid and the Police Department, and the City Council did not authorize payment for Schneid's investigation. San Bernardino policy requires the council to greenlight expenditures of $25,000 or more