CLB Minutes 06/20/2007 R
June 20, 2007
TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING OF THE
CONTRACTORS' LICENSING BOARD
Naples, Florida
June 20, 2007
LET IT BE REMEMBERED, that the Contractors' Licensing
Board, in and for the County of Collier, having conducted business
herein, met on this date at 9:00 a.m., in REGULAR SESSION in
Building "F" of the Government Complex, East Naples, Florida, with
the following members present:
CHAIRMAN: Les Dickson
Glenn Herriman
William Lewis
Sydney Blum
Ann Keller
Richard Joslin
Lee Horn
Michael Boyd
Eric Guite'
ALSO PRESENT:
Thomas Bartoe, Licensing Compliance Officer
Mike Ossorio, Contractor Licensing Supervisor
Robert Zachary, County Attorney
Patrick Neale, Counsel to the Board
Page 1
AGENDA
COLLIER COUNTY CONTRACTORS' LICENSING BOARD
DATE: WEDNESDAY - JUNE 20, 2007
TIME: 9:00 A.M.
W. HARMON TURNER BUILDING
(ADMINISTRATION BUILDING)
COURTHOUSE COMPLEX
ANY PERSON WHO DECIDES TO APPEAL A DECISION OF THIS BOARD WILL NEED A RECORD OF THE
PROCEEDINGS PERTAINING THERETO, AND THEREFORE MAY NEED TO ENSURE THAT A VERBATIM
RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS IS MADE, WHICH RECORD INCLUDES THAT TESTIMONY AND
EVIDENCE UPON WHICH THE APPEAL IS TO BE BASED.
I. ROLL CALL
II. ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS:
III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
DATE: May 16, 2007
V. DISCUSSION:
VI. NEW BUSINESS:
Salvatore B. Munizzi - Request to qualify a 20d entity.
Carman Mirabal - Review of experience affidavits.
Wallace Booth - Review of credit report.
VII. OLD BUSINESS:
VIII PUBLIC HEARINGS:
Case # 2007-07
John L. Allison, Sr.
d/b/a Allison Roofing Systems, Inc.
Case #2007-08
Mark Radenbush
d/b/a Idyll Construction. Inc.
IX. REPORTS:
X. NEXT MEETING DATE:
July 18, 2007
3101 E. Tamiami Trail
Naples, FL, 34104
June 20, 2007
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Good morning. I'd like to call to
order the meeting of the Collier County Contractor Licensing Board
for June 20,2007.
I'd like to start with roll call to my right.
MR. HERRIMAN: Glenn Herriman.
MR. LEWIS: William Lewis.
MR. BLUM: Syd Blum.
MS. KELLER: Ann Keller.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I'm going -- I'm going slow. Les
Dickson.
MR. JOSLIN: Richard Joslin.
MR. BOYD: Michael Boyd.
MR. HORN: Lee Horn.
MR. GUITE': Eric Guite'.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Welcome, Lee. I knew you were
commg.
Mr. Bartoe, any additions or deletions to the minutes?
MR. BARTOE: Good morning, Mr. Chairman, board members.
For the record, my name is Tom Bartoe. I'm Collier County licensing
compliance officer.
Staff has one addition to the agenda. I believe, Mr. Chairman,
you asked to put emergency meetings after a hurricane on the agenda
for discussion, and we need to add that. I don't know, you probably
want to put it at the end of the meeting after the hearings.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay.
MR. JOSLIN: Hearings.
MR. BARTOE: Other than that, staff has no additions or
deletions.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Go ahead.
MR. JOSLIN: I'll make a motion that we approve the agenda as
written.
MR. BLUM: Second, Blum.
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June 20, 2007
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: All those in favor?
MR. HERRIMAN: Aye.
MR. LEWIS: Aye.
MR. BLUM: Aye.
MS. KELLER: Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Aye.
MR. JOSLIN: Aye.
MR. HORN: Aye.
MR. BOYD: Aye.
MR. GUITE': Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: The minutes. Have you all had a
chance to look over last month's minutes? I need a motion on those.
MR. JOSLIN: So moved, Joslin.
MR. BLUM: Second, Blum.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: All those in favor?
MR. HERRIMAN: Aye.
MR. LEWIS: Aye.
MR. BLUM: Aye.
MS. KELLER: Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Aye.
MR. JOSLIN: Aye.
MR. HORN: Aye.
MR. BOYD: Aye.
MR. GUITE': Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: On the hurricane emergency clause,
Mr. Neale?
MR. NEALE: Yes.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: All we'll offer is, if you remember
after Hurricane Wilma it took us three days to get together an
emergency meeting. And in the meantime, we had county offices
swarmed with tree removal and debris removal, emergency things that
couldn't take place. Can we not draft a resolution that would follow
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June 20, 2007
the same guidelines as last year, or when we had Wilma, to where the
county can immediately initiate those licenses to be temporary?
MR. NEALE: I'd want to look at it a little bit further, but just in
an initial reading of the section of the ordinance, it appears that its --
that the board actually would have to declare an emergency
contracting trade shortage each time simply because the declaration
shall be for a period of time not to exceed six months under the
ordinance. So I mean, you could do one every six months, but it can
only be done after the declaration of a state of emergency by the
Board of County Commissioners.
So I'll take a look at it, but it appears, at first blush, that that's not
going to be the way it can be done.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. And then my second question
would be, could we do that by a telephone vote?
MR. NEALE: As far as I can -- you know, I think that could be
specifically authorized.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Then I don't think we're going to
accomplish anything today following this new route until Mr. Neale
gets to research. So let's postpone it for next month.
MR. BARTOE: Very good. Then, yes, after research, maybe
we'll know more.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay.
MS. KELLER: I think telephone is a good idea because some of
us are evacuating anyway, so --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Moving on.
New business, Salvatore Munizzi. Are you present?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Carman Mirabel, are you present?
MS. MIRABAL: Yes.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: If you would come up here to this
podium. I need to have you sworn in. If you would, state your name
first.
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June 20, 2007
MS. MIRABAL: Carman Mirabel.
(The speaker was duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Good morning to you.
MS. MIRABAL: Good morning.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Understand that what we're here for is
on your license is just to review experience affidavits.
MS. MIRABAL: Yes.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Why are we reviewing those?
MS. MIRABAL: When I turned in my application, Mr. Ossorio
reviewed them, and I believe he contacted one of the contractors who
verified my experience on the affidavit, and he decided that it wasn't
and he didn't continue with the reviews.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. True, Mr. Ossorio?
MR. OSSORIO: For the record, Chairman, Michael Ossorio,
Collier County contracting licensing supervisor. If you look on --
unfortunately it should have had a number on it but it has not. It's
George Schmaelling, president, CRC028488, Florida Homes of
Collier County.
I did Contact Mr. George Schmaelling. He advised me that he
did not see the applicant paint, but he did hire -- he did have houses
built for the applicant and the applicant painted their own house. So
my opinion was that he -- she or he, the applicant, is an owner/builder
and therefore I wouldn't take the -- I wouldn't take the construction
verifying experience letters.
MR. BLUM: Did you contact Schmaelling or Creasy, any of
these other guys?
MR. OSSORIO: George Schmaelling, I did. Yes, I did.
MR. BLUM: And how about Henry Creasy and --
MR. OSSORIO: No.
MR. BLUM: You didn't call them?
MR. OSSORIO: (Shakes head.)
MR. BLUM: Peter Gutierrez, no?
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June 20, 2007
MS. KELLER: Did you ask George ifhe signed this statement?
MR. OSSORIO: Sorry?
MS. KELLER: I see his signature here, and it says, painted three
homes built.
MR. OSSORIO: Yes, he did -- he did sign it.
MS. KELLER: Okay. So--
MR. BLUM: So that was an untruth then?
MS. KELLER: Yeah.
MR. OSSORIO: I don't know if it was an untruth. I believe that
he maybe hasn't read the construction under supervision. A lot of -- a
lot of builders sign something that they don't actually read in length,
and I think that might be the reason.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Well, at the same time, if this happens
in the future, I'm going to impose on your office to call the rest of the
people because I got two more that now I'm questioning if they're
valid or not. Tell me about your experience.
MS. MIRABAL: Okay. Here are the affidavits that I provided.
He's correct, I did not -- I was not employed by Florida Homes of
Collier. A lot of the experience that I have had has been personal
experience, like he said, owner/builder.
I really honestly was not aware that it had to be through a direct
employment. I thought it just had to be verified or approved by a
contractor.
And if -- I'm not sure if you had read my letter. It explained in
depth how I reached where I'm at today. But here -- my husband and I
have done many investments in Collier County, and yes, one of the
things we did was, we did paint our own homes, interior, exterior,
depending on the project, so that is what he was verifying here in this
-- in this one.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I gotcha.
MR. JOSLIN: But just for the record then, the other two, or the
two that I'm looking at -- Gutierrez, I mean, for Milestone Builders
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June 20, 2007
and --
MS. MIRABAL: Yes.
MR. JOSLIN: -- Henry Creasy Construction.
MS. MIRABAL: Yes.
MR. JOSLIN: They signed also that you performed work and
did a great job.
MS. MIRABAL: Right.
MR. JOSLIN: So how did you do that under--
MS. MIRABAL: No. I have never -- I explained this. I never
worked directly for any builder or for any painting contracting
company. It was basically all personal experience that I've had. And
through our investments we would do the painting work. Also we did
work for these contractors personally, you know, in their own homes,
excuse me. And I'm not quite sure how I could portray this to you or
how -- if you're looking for precise details on which homes or what
projects I completed.
MR. BLUM: Mr. Ossorio? Michael?
MR.OSSORIO: Yes, sir.
MR. BLUM: Could you just refresh my memory on exactly
what the qualifications for experience are?
MR. OSSORIO: Two years, 24 months. I'll read you a -- if
you'd indulge me. It says, time in a supervisor or administrative role
should be -- also be described but mayor may not be considered
sufficient to demonstrate required trade experience.
One of the things -- I suppose anyone could -- believe me, you
had a board member years ago that said, well, anyone could put paint
on the wall. It's not just painting. It's bidding, understanding the
process of contracting and the day-to-day operation, and that's what
we're looking at.
We want to make sure -- not necessarily that he or she is
employed by the company, but actually in the business of painting
who knows about it, about the bidding process, about estimating.
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June 20, 2007
Those items are very important when you're a painter and you're
trying to contact business.
MS. KELLER: But she passed her licensing test, so a lot of that
MR. OSSORIO: That's one criteria. There's many different
criterias of being a contractor. There's three criterias, I believe, is --
one is actually passing the exam; two, which is showing experience;
and three, having good credit. So all three work together. Without
one, you can't have the other.
MS. KELLER: That brings me to my other question in this case
is -- I couldn't read the credit read. Mine is really difficult to read. I
think it said the score was --
MR. OSSORIO: It's 735.
MS. KELLER: -- 735, but--
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Nice job.
MR. OSSORIO: There's no -- I believe there's no issue on the
credit.
MS. KELLER: Yeah. But it was really hard for me to read this.
MS. MIRABAL: If I might add something. I know -- I mean,
it's very difficult for me to prove the experience. It's not something,
like I said -- and he had even mentioned to me, Mr. Ossorio, that I
should -- it would be better that I worked for two months under a
direct supervisor under a painting contractor company.
And I honestly would not do that. I would not be able to do that.
My husband and I have been involved in many different businesses,
and we've conducted some here in Naples. We've never had any
issues financially or had anybody ever come back to us with any
concerns or complaints.
And as to running the business portion of it, I believe I'm very
knowledgeable. Like she stated, I did pass the exam. I'm aware of the
requirements of the insurances, which we have everything in place.
Everything is, you know, on my -- I's are dotted, T's crossed. I made
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June 20, 2007
sure that I had everything in place before I walked into this.
Now, I know that he's explaining that we need the 24 months of
verified experience, and I do believe that I have it because I've done it
for many years, even before these affidavits here are stating, for many
years. It hasn't been with a company. It hasn't been in a supervisory
role, but I have done it. I know how to do it, I can do it.
I'm obviously not going to be the only one working this. I will
have employees. I do plan to employ someone to help me supervise
who has worked in this kind of role for many years, for six to seven
years here in Southwest Florida. So if that can be taken into
consideration.
MR. JOSLIN: You're going to have employees working for you,
then in the packet you've provided with us (sic) an insurance
certificate which shows that you don't have any Workmen's
Compensation insurance.
MS. MIRABAL: I haven't hired anyone yet. I haven't done that,
you know. So I didn't think it was smart to start paying for something
if I'm not using it yet, so --
MR. LEWIS: Ifit pleases the board. In may direct your
attention to our ordinance. It's particularly experience requirements in .
1.8. As a prerequisite to and as a requirement for the issuance of a
Collier County/City Certificate of Competency, an applicant shall
submit satisfactory evidence of experience in the trade for which he or
she desires certification. A, contractor's experience shall be in that
particular trade with at least one year of said experience being as a
supervisor. We would have to waive that requirement.
MR. BARTOE: You would have to do that for 90 percent of the
people that apply for a license.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: The reason we're hesitating, we're
trying to find a way.
MS. MIRABAL: I understand.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: First of all, I'm sorry you're not going
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June 20, 2007
to be a schoolteacher. You taught at Vineyards, right?
MS. MIRABAL: Yes, I did.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Yeah. You're obviously -- and a 735
on a schoolteacher's salary, that's remarkable.
MS. MIRABAL: Oh, thank you.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: You've already passed all your tests.
I'm just going to go for it. I vote that we approve the experience, grant
the license.
MR. OSSORIO: The county has no objection.
MR. BLUM: What did Mr. Ossorio say?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: How about -- I need a second.
MS. KELLER: I second.
MR. BLUM: It's okay with Michael?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Now we can talk. Yeah, county's
okay as well. Now, we open for discussion.
MR. JOSLIN: How about we put a -- some kind of restriction on
it for a six-month period?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I don't have a problem with that.
MR. JOSLIN: See how she does and we're allowing her to run
the business with no experience really at all.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Well, she's got experience. She's done
-- I've got three contractors here that say that she's done work for them
and they complimented her. I know she hasn't been a supervisor.
MR. LEWIS: Think about what you just said. You've got three
contractors that hired an unlicensed person to come in and paint their
homes.
MS. KELLER: And it was their homes.
MR. LEWIS: Their own personal home?
MS. KELLER: It was owner/builder, right?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: It was ownerlbuilder.
MS. MIRABAL: I wasn't hired. I wasn't paid. What we did is
we would receive credit on whatever work we did, but I was not hired.
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June 20, 2007
I was not hired.
MR. LEWIS: So all three of these homes that you did for Florida
Homes were your homes?
MS. MIRABAL: Yes.
MR. LEWIS: You bought three homes from him--
MS. MIRABAL: Yes.
MR. LEWIS: And then you bought two others from these other
contractors?
MS. MIRABAL: I did not buy any from Milestone Builders.
Actually my husband and Peter Gutierrez, the owner of Milestone
Builders, did purchase property together, and we would work -- we
would do work. We also did -- my husband, not I, did some tile work
that -- you know, things that would allow us to obviously increase
profit. And Henry Creasy, no, I never did build any -- or he never
built anything for us, but we did personal work for Henry Creasy.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I'll put -- yeah.
MR. LEWIS: I -- just to weigh in. I can't go with that.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I'll put my reputation on it. She's -- I
mean, if there's ever a spirit of an entrepreneur, and the qualifications,
she's it.
So I'll amend my motion to approve it with a six-month
probationary period.
MR. BLUM: In may.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Will you second that?
MS. KELLER: I second that. Make sure you -- if you have an
employee, that you get them covered.
MS. MIRABAL: Definitely.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay.
MS. KELLER: Because otherwise you'll be back in front of us.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Go ahead.
MR. BLUM: I have to echo Mr. Lewis. This is obviously a very
dynamic lady and probably a professional person.
Page 11
^. '_~_b.__~~m'...._.,_u~_,,___-<_ .
June 20, 2007
We do have criteria. She obviously doesn't meet it. I think she's
circumventing what we're setting out to do, and I do have a problem
with it.
IfMr. Ossorio had said, okay, called all three of these guys -- I
personally know Henry Creasy and I know Gutierrez as well. I know
who Mr. Schmaelling is. She hasn't been a supervisor, she hasn't run a
job. She hasn't been in charge of any of these big houses that these
guys built. I don't think she meets the criteria and I would be opposed
to it.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Oh. And understand this, my motion
is based on the fact that I disagree, she does meet the criteria for the
experience and that's what I'm basing my motion on.
MR. LEWIS: How do you figure that?
MR. BLUM: How do you figure it?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Because of the jobs that she's done,
and she has supervised.
MR. BLUM: We don't know that.
MR. LEWIS: Let me read you what a painting contractor is.
Painting contractor requires 24 months of experience, a passing grade
on a three-hour test and a passing grade on a two-hour business and
law test means those who are qualified to use spraying equipment as
well as hand tools to finish both exterior and interior work. A painting
contractor may do paperhanging, sandblasting, and may clean and
paint roofs. That's it.
MR. BLUM: She doesn't come close to those criteria.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Any more discussion?
MR. JOSLIN: I think if we -- if we go along with your idea, Mr.
Dickson, that we're going to be setting a precedence to any painting
contractor in Collier County that wants to come in here without
expenence.
MR. BLUM: Amen.
MR. JOSLIN: I can't vote for it either.
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June 20, 2007
MR. BLUM: I can't do it.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Call for the vote. All those in
favor?
MS. KELLER: Aye.
MR. DICKSON: Aye.
MR. BOYD: Aye.
MR. GUITE': Aye.
MR. DICKSON: Okay. By signal. Aye.
MS. KELLER: (Raises hand.)
MR. BOYD: (Raises hand.)
MR. GUITE': (Raises hand.)
MR. DICKSON: Four. All those opposed?
MR. HERRIMAN: Aye.
MR. LEWIS: Aye.
MR. BLUM: Aye.
MR. JOSLIN: Aye.
MR. HORN: Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Go ahead.
MS. MIRABAL: Would it be possible with the probationary
period? I mean --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: That was included in the motion.
MS. MIRABAL: Does that make a difference? I mean, if within
six months, like you said, there's anything that would --
MR. BLUM: Not now.
MS. MIRABAL: So that we're not capable to do this?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: What you've got to do is get some
experience. I know you've got a son that needs your attention.
MS. MIRABAL: A daughter, a daughter.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: A daughter. You've got to get some
experience. Or can -- she can't come in here with -- you can't do that.
Or get your -- the person you were going to hire to go take the test.
He's got the experience.
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June 20, 2007
MS. MIRABAL: Right, right.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And you could tutor him.
MS. KELLER: And you can work under him.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And he could pull-- he could pull the
license for the company and you still own the company.
MR. LEWIS: Then after 24 months, then you can get your
license.
MS. MIRABAL: And that's basically the only way? I would
have to have -- would that person need to own a portion of the
business?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: No. Well, there's a financial
responsibility act.
MS. MIRABAL: Right.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: He has to have control over jobs.
MR. OSSORIO: There's a form you fill out. There's actually a
form you fill out, and also, if this person's going to be workers' compo
exempt, he would have to have 10 percent ownership of the company,
so --
MR. JOSLIN: It would be in your interest to have --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And that test is given every month, so
you can make it move fast if you can tutor that individual fast enough.
MS. MIRABAL: Right.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: The board's with you. We haven't had
a fight like this in a long time.
MS. MIRABAL: Right. I mean, I appreciate your consideration.
The tutoring and having someone take an exam, I mean, you can have
a lot of knowledge in painting or in business and sometimes not be
able to pass a test. I'm just hoping -- I mean, we're putting now all our
hope in someone that may not be able to pass a test. I just -- you
know, in can plead you to reconsider.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Oh, it's -- that we can't do. It's been --
we tried. It didn't go. It's down. Now you've got to go another
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June 20, 2007
avenue.
MS. MIRABAL: Okay.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay? I do wish you well.
MS. MIRABAL: Thank you.
MR. JOSLIN: Do you need a motion to deny this?
MR. NEALE: It's already done.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Don't need it, do I?
MR. NEALE: You took a vote. No.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I tried to approve it and it went down.
MR. NEALE: Motion to approve failed, so you don't need a
denial.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Wish you well.
MR. JOSLIN: Sorry.
MR. LEWIS: And good luck, ma'am.
MS. MIRABAL: Do I need to stay?
MR. JOSLIN: No. You're free to go.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: That was a good battle. I enjoy those.
We haven't had one of those in a long time, guys.
MR. LEWIS: Since the last time I was here.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Since the last time.
Wallace Booth, are you present? If you could come up to the
podium. I need for you to just state your name and have you sworn in,
SIr.
MR. BOOTH: Name is Wallace Booth.
(The speaker was duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And you've got a credit issue. Tell us
about it as we're looking at it.
MR. BOOTH: I have an IRS tax lien on my credit, and at the
present time, I am in the process of paying them off.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: What was the date of that lien?
MR. BOOTH: That I am not aware of. I know --
MS. KELLER: It was a year ago.
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June 20, 2007
MR. BOOTH: -- it went up through 2003.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Oh, we can tell you. You don't know
when that went on?
MR. JOSLIN: December '95, '6, '77
MS. KELLER: '06 is when it was--
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: December '06?
MS. KELLER: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I haven't found it yet.
MS. KELLER: It's June 28, '06 was when he started the
payments.
MR. GUITE': Three oh four.
MS. KELLER: Right here.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Oh, it's in that letter, okay.
MS. KELLER: The thing that I couldn't understand from this
paperwork is, I didn't see any -- any evidence of the payments that
have been made during that time. I see a bill that's due for this month,
which has penalties and interest on it. And so it was very difficult for
me to see from this statement, the documents that you gave me, what
had been paid from the date that was in the first letter from the IRS
that set out the payment schedule. I didn't see if you had made those
payments.
MR. BOOTH: Yes. I do make the payments. At the present
time I have $115 a week coming out of my paycheck that goes
directly to them, and then on the balance, before the 28th of each
month, I send in the balance to them.
MS. KELLER: Okay. And this penalty and interest, are those--
MR. BOOTH: That--
MS. KELLER: -- for late payments that you've made during that
time or --
MR. BOOTH: The penalties and interest is -- they keep adding
on to what I owe them, and so it just basically continues.
MS. KELLER: But they wouldn't add on to penalties unless you
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June 20, 2007
weren't paying payments on time.
MR. BOOTH: The payments are being made on time, and that __
what they're sending is a monthly statement, and I believe it's a
breakdown of exactly what it is that is owed and how it gets broken
down.
MS. KELLER: Okay. Because when you start fresh, there are
no penalties on --
MR. BOOTH: Well--
MR. NEALE: Except these kind onRS statements show the
penalties that were imposed previously, so that -- what that is is --
MS. KELLER: They include -- they roll that up and -- okay. I
wasn't sure if it was --
MR. NEALE: Yeah. The way these statements work --
MS. KELLER: -- starting at the beginning.
MR. NEALE: -- because I've seen them before, is that they show
exactly what each of those tax periods were.
MS. KELLER: Okay.
MR. NEALE: So it's just a -- it's a summary of where your pass
is, and then it keeps updating as you pay it.
MS. KELLER: Okay. But do we have any evidence that the
payments are being made in this packet? I couldn't find anything.
MR. NEALE: Well--
MR. BOOTH: No. The only thing is, is when I originally turned
this in, they said, well, can you send in a previous -- a statement,
current statement, which is that one for -- I believe it was last month it
was due.
MR. GUITE': How much are you paying? How much are you
making?
MR. BOOTH: $837 is the total per month.
MR. BARTOE: My concern, when I reviewed this, ifit was at
837 a month, the page before, if you read number five, will continue
to charge penalty and interest until he pays the total amount owd. And
Page 17
June 20, 2007
with the amount owed, I can't see how the man will ever get it paid
off.
MR. GUITE': We'll all be dead and gone before it gets paid.
MR. JOSLIN: If I'm reading this correctly, is this $282,000
worth of tax liens?
MR. BOOTH: Yes, it is.
MR. JOSLIN: At $837 a month?
MR. BLUM: There's no way.
MR. BOOTH: Yes. What it is is the base -- the payments are
reviewed every two years, and it's based on what I'm able to pay.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Have you contacted legal counsel on
this issue?
MR. BOOTH: As far as legal counsel, I have not.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Because, first of all, we're talking
$300,000.
MR. BOOTH: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: With penalties and interest, you won't
live long enough. In fact, you're losing ground every month.
You've got to get someone to go in and make a settlement
agreement with the IRS and then start paying on a settlement
agreement. With what this is, your liability's going up every month,
which begs my next question; why would you even consider trying to
open a business with this over your head?
MR. BOOTH: In order for me to make more money so this way
I can work on getting it paid off.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And why would you expect Collier
County to grant you a license when you have a $300,000 tax lien on
you?
MR. BOOTH: I am in the process of working on paying it off.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: You do see my dilemma?
MR. BOOTH: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I mean, we turn you loose on the
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June 20, 2007
public when that happens, and I don't see that you can run your
business with that kind of liability on top of you. That's why you've
got to sit down with a good tax attorney and -- because the route
you're on is absolutely fruitless.
MR. JOSLIN: Maybe I missed something here, but what created
this tax problem?
MR. BOOTH: I was -- I was working as a salesman and I was
getting paid with the -- paid directly and getting a 1099, and I just
didn't have the money to payoff the taxes in that year, and it just
progressively snowballed.
MR. BLUM: How long ago was that?
MR. BOOTH: '95.
MR. GUITE': And you missed the bankruptcy law.
MR. BLUM: You're a prime candidate for Chapter something.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Wait. I've got two talking.
MR. GUITE': That's not going to help him any.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Yeah, but you can't -- I don't think
you can bankrupt these tax liabilities out, can you?
MR. GUITE': Not anymore, not since 2000.
MR. BLUM: Did anybody make a motion?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I'm waiting.
MR. JOSLIN: I'll make a motion to deny the packet.
MR. GUITE': Second.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I've got a motion --
MR. GUITE': Oops, sorry.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: -- by Mr. Guite' to deny. Do I have a
second?
MR. BLUM: Second.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Discussion?
MR. LEWIS: Discussion, yeah. Just, if -- would the board
consider in this application if they reapplied with a financially
responsible officer? Because if you look at the setup of the
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June 20, 2007
corporation, you know, it's CP Electric, Incorporated, and Wallace
Booth is only, I believe, a 49 percent owner of that.
MR. BOOTH: I believe it's half.
MR. NEALE: The only problem is, in Collier County, we do not
have financially responsible officers. That's a -- it's a state -- that's not
in our ordinance.
MR. LEWIS: I thought we accepted state's 489?
MR. NEALE: No. We do except for the fact that this board had
reviewed whether to have financially responsible officers in the past,
and a decision was made not to recommend that to the county
commISSIOn.
MR. LEWIS: Sorry, tried.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: What happened to our financial
responsibility part that used to be in the packets?
MR. NEALE: Well, it's -- it still has to be the contractor. We
don't have a separate officer that can be financially responsible.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Gotcha. Any more discussion?
MS. KELLER: I think it's very admirable that you are paying off
your debt, so I commend you for that but -- not taking the easy way
out, but it is -- it is difficult to approve for someone in your situation
to start a business. And I'm a consumer, so I'm always looking out for
the consumer.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: All of us up here have been in
business. I will tell -- I'll guarantee you, a good -- one hour with a
good tax attorney will make your life so much more enjoyable. Go do
it.
MR. BOOTH: All right.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I can't say any more than that. Just go
do it.
Call for the vote. All those in favor?
MR. HERRIMAN: Aye.
MR. LEWIS: Aye.
Page 20
June 20, 2007
MR. BLUM: Aye.
MS. KELLER: Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Aye.
MR. JOSLIN: Aye.
MR. HORN: Aye.
MR. BOYD: Aye.
MR. GUITE': Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: We can't let it go right now.
MR. BOOTH: All right.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay.
MR. BOOTH: Okay. Now, once I get the IRS tax lien taken
care of, resubmit then?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: You go meet with a good tax attorney
and get on a different program and your life will turn around.
MR. BOOTH: All right.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay.
MR. BOOTH: All right, thank you.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Thank you.
I'm up here advertising for the suits.
MR. NEALE: And we thank you for it.
MR. LEWIS: Are we all receiving a cut of that or what?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Yeah. And you guys know exactly
what I was telling that man.
MR. JOSLIN: I saw several attorneys in here pull out their pens,
so --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: See, that's why we call them suits.
There's only -- there's four suits in here. Whoops, there's a fifth one.
Yeah.
Let's keep going. We've only been going 30 minutes.
Salvatore Munizzi. Did you come in?
Page 21
June 20, 2007
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: He's off. Keep that packet for next
month though.
With that, we're going to go into public hearings. Let me explain
public hearings while I've got everyone here. Weare quasijudicial.
The county is the one who is putting on the case, and we will open it
up with, the county will make opening remarks, not to get into details
of the case, and then the respondent or their representative can make
opening remarks, not to get into the case.
Then the county will present their case. You'll be allowed to ask
their witnesses questions and vice versa, with closing remarks at the
end, and then we will close what we call the public hearing, which is
basically, there's an imaginary screen up here, the case is over with,
but you hear us deliberate.
I do say it's quasijudicial because we do allow hearsay. A lot
different than what you're used to in a courtroom, but hopefully you
find it a little bit easier to get along and go from there.
So with that, case number 2007-07, Collier County versus John
L. Allison, Sr., d/b/a Allison Roofing Systems, Incorporated. Mr.
Allison's representative is here. And you're going to put on the case
for the county.
I don't need to have -- if you would, just state your name for me,
SIr.
MR. SPARKMAN: My name is Richard Sparkman. I'm a
member of the bar, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. And you're representing Mr.
Allison?
MR. SPARKMAN: I represent Allison Roofing, yes.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: You are a member of the Florida Bar?
MR. SPARKMAN: That is correct, sir.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: If -- since he's a friend of the court, I
do not have to have him sworn in; is that correct, Mr. Neale?
Page 22
June 20, 2007
MR. NEALE: Unless he's offering testimony.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Very well. If the county
would open with their remarks.
MR. WUHRER: Yes, good morning, Mr. Chairman, ladies and
gentlemen of the board. For the record, my name is Andy Wuhrer,
contractor licensing investigator.
The case that the county is going to bring forth this morning is
that we will show that the contract was supplied by Allison Roofing to
the Haines. It was reviewed and accepted by the Haines as well.
And according to the contract, the down payment was made upon
the acceptance. And subsequent to that, a second check was also
issued in excess of the allowed contract amount and written to John
Schneider, who was an employee of Allison Roofing and who had
been given power of attorney to conduct business for Allison Roofing,
and subsequent to that, did not return to perform for the contract.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Opening remarks, sir?
MR. SPARKMAN: The response I have, sir, is that Allison
Roofing worked for 17 years, been a licensed roofing contractor.
About five years, I think, in Collier. Mr. Schneider, who worked for
Allison Roofing for about a year, pulled permits and did work. And at
some point, about a year into work for Allison Roofing, went to the
Haineses -- and actually I think there are some more of these out here
-- and he exceeded his authority and began to commit crimes.
Mr. John Schneider had Mrs. Haines write the check directly to
him rather than Allison Roofing. He went and cashed it and put the
money in his pocket.
Mrs. Haines then wrote a check to Allison Roofing for 10,000,
and I have exhibits which I'll show at the appropriate time.
Apparently, Mr. Schneider put in the word Sunniland and then
paid for materials through Sunniland, and I have in my exhibits where
he paid for other people's materials and then some materials for the
Haineses, and he misappropriated that money, he altered a check,
Page 23
June 20, 2007
misappropriated that money, and he took off, and he went to Michigan
and wrote checks on Allison Roofing accounts that he didn't have the
authority to write, even after his authority was pulled by Allison
Roofing. Did not put money in Allison Roofing accounts, and wrote
checks, for instance, for EI --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Let me interrupt.
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay, sir.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Mr. Neale, guide me here. First of all,
this is all well and good, but I really don't care, because he was an
employee of Allison Roofing, who is the license holder. License
holder is responsible for all actions of their employees. Can you guide
me Mr. Neale; am Ion the right track here?
MR. NEALE: It would appear so, yeah.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Huh?
MR. NEALE: Yes, you are.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. So this is not a defense. If
that's the case, then he's got criminal charges against an employee but
he makes the homeowner whole again. You're going down the wrong
track.
MR. SPARKMAN: Well, we understand that.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: So why are you--
MR. SPARKMAN: We haven't gotten there yet.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay.
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Well, let's keep it to opening remarks.
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. What else do you have to say
on opening remarks?
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay. We understand the responsibility,
and we have made an offer to Mrs. Haines. I personally made it to her
-- I made it through counsel, but apparently her counsel didn't respond
to me -- that we would pay $500 a month until all of this was paid.
Page 24
June 20, 2007
She wants more than that. We can't do that. I'm not going to make an
offer we can't make, but that's what we've got. We offered to make her
whole, but it will take time. And if we -- Allison Roofing comes up
with more money, Allison Roofing will pay more money.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay.
MR. BLUM: The amount that you're looking on paying at 500 a
month is 31,666, or is that --
MR. SPARKMAN: I'm sorry. I didn't catch all of that, yes, 500
a month.
MR. BLUM: No. What's the total amount that Allison agrees he
needs to pay back to Mrs. Haines?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Can we wait and get into that once we
get into the case, please?
MR. BLUM: Okay, sure.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: County, present your case.
MR. WUHRER: Thank you, Mr. chairman. You need to swear
memo
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. If you're going to offer
testimony, yeah.
MR. BARTOE: Staff would like to introduce case number
2007 -07 into evidence.
MR. JOSLIN: Make a motion that we approve case number
2007-07.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Second. I'll second. All those in
favor?
MR. HERRIMAN: Aye.
MR. LEWIS: Aye.
MR. BLUM: Aye.
MS. KELLER: Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Aye.
MR. JOSLIN: Aye.
MR. HORN: Aye.
Page 25
June 20, 2007
MR. BOYD: Aye.
MR. GUITE': Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And if you'll swear in, Terri, Mr.
Wuhrer.
(The speaker was duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Fire away.
MR. WUHRER: Mr. Chairman, board members, I received the
complaint from the Haineses regarding this roof not being rebuilt or
re-put together subsequent to the hurricane.
As per the contract that was supplied by Allison Roofing, the --
they made compliance to the contract by paying the down payment
that was required, and that check was -- if you look on Exhibit E9,
you'll see that that check was made out to Allison Roofing.
Subsequent to that check having been written, they were revisited
by Mr. Schneider, again, who had power of attorney to conduct
business for Allison Roofing. And Mr. Allison (sic) requested a
check, which we will discuss, with the Haineses, for an additional
$21,089, the pretext being that there was additional materials that had
to be purchased for the job.
This $21,000 check was in excess of the additional third that
would have been required by contract, and the check was written and
supplied.
Subsequent to that, no materials materialized to do the roof. The
roof had some work done to it. The old shingles were removed. Some
underlayment was put down, the peel and stick variety, and that's
where the job terminated.
So prior to that $21,000 check, the roof had been removed, the
stickum had been put down, the additional check was given. I guess it
must have been started just a tad early. And then that was the end of
that job. It never proceeded further.
So what I would like to do to explain the story in greater detail
would be to call Mrs. Haines to the stand so that she could tell the
Page 26
June 20, 2007
county exactly what transpired.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Yeah, please. And if you would, I'll
ask you to sit down and Mrs. Haines come over here, and then you can
cross from the other side.
MS. HAINES: My name is Elizabeth Haines.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Have her sworn in.
(The speaker was duly sworn.)
MR. WUHRER: Mrs. Haines, I'm just going to ask you a few
questions, and feel free to elaborate to some degree on that, if you
will, and I'll interrupt you when necessary just to show documentation.
How did you come about hiring the Allison Roofing?
MS. HAINES: Well, we needed a new roof, it was leaking and
had storm damage, and I interviewed several roofing companies.
Allison Roofing was recommended to me through a realtor, which was
one of the reasons that I ended up going with them.
MR. WUHRER: Okay. And when you called to have that
interview with Allison Roofing, who came to your residence?
MS. HAINES: John Schneider.
MR. WUHRER: John Schneider. Did he run over the details of
what was necessary and offer you a contract?
MS. HAINES: Yes, he did.
MR. WUHRER: Did -- after that contract was signed and the
check was given to Mr. Schneider, did you see him again the
following day?
MS. HAINES: Well, he came back for the second check.
MR. WUHRER: Yes. And that check, again, you made out to?
MS. HAINES: The second one was made out to John Schneider.
MR. WUHRER: Made out to John Schneider. So there were
two checks. And that second check that you did give to Mr. Schneider
was in excess, am I not correct --
MS. HAINES: Correct.
MR. WUHRER: -- of the second one-third requirement. And
Page 27
June 20, 2007
then, of course, some work was started.
MS. HAINES: Yes.
MR. WUHRER: And that check, Mr. Schneider stated, he
needed for?
MS. HAINES: Materials and for his crew, to pay the crew.
MR. WUHRER: Okay. Did materials show up on the job?
MS. HAINES: No. There were never any materials delivered.
MR. WUHRER: Were you curious after no materials came?
MS. HAINES: Yes.
MR. WUHRER: And what did you do about that?
MS. HAINES: Well, what happened was, the -- they took the
roof off, and the people that took the roof off came back to me with a
letter from their attorney stating that they had not been paid by Allison
Roofing and that they were going to put a lien on my house.
So, of course, I got nervous when that happened and I called up
John Schneider and I said, when are you going to put the roofing tiles
up, and he said, well, I've order them through Sunniland Tile, so, you
know, we should have it done by Thanksgiving.
So I called Sunniland Tile, and they told me that John Schneider
had never ordered any materials for my house. So then I called John
Schneider back again, and by this time, I'm really nervous and I said
to John Schneider, I said, Sunniland said that you didn't order the tile
through them. And he said, no, I changed my mind at the last minute.
He said, I ordered the tile through Dr. Good Roof.
So I called up Dr. Good Roof, and I said, when is my tile going
to be ready? And Dr. Good Roof said that no tile had been ordered for
my job.
MR. WUHRER: I see. And of course, you never were able to
recontact Mr. Schneider?
MS. HAINES: Oh, I called -- I've talked to Mr. Schneider after
that, but he said he had no money. He spent the money.
MR. WUHRER: I see. And did he tell you what he spent it on?
Page 28
June 20, 2007
MS. HAINES: No.
MR. WUHRER: Because obviously it was not materials to do
your roof?
MS. HAINES: Right.
MR. WUHRER: Okay. Okay. I think that's sufficient. Thank
you.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: So no -- don't leave. Let's cross while
she's up here. And then we have questions on the board for her, too.
MR. SPARKMAN: Good morning, Mrs. Haines.
MS. HAINES: Good morning.
MR. SPARKMAN: I have -- the only questions I have, the first
check you wrote, you did write to Allison Roofing; is that correct?
MS. HAINES: Correct.
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay. Did you write Sunniland in there?
MS. HAINES: No.
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay. I have a copy of that check, in may
show it to her.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Do I need to have that introduced,
Pat?
MR. NEALE: I think it's part of the packet.
MS. HAINES: I have it.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I got it.
MR. WUHRER: Page 15.
MR. SPARKMAN: Do you see after Allison Roofing -- do you
see after Allison Roofing where Sunniland was written in on your
check?
MS. HAINES: Yes.
MR. SPARKMAN: Did you do that?
MS. HAINES: No.
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay. The money actually went to
Sunniland. They endorsed the check. You noticed that?
MS. HAINES: Yes. I found that out later.
Page 29
June 20, 2007
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay. Well, according to Sunniland, the
documents I have from Sunniland, they did deliver certain materials to
your house; is that correct?
MS. HAINES: No, that's not correct. I never received anything
from Sunniland.
MR. SPARKMAN: I'm sorry?
MS. HAINES: I never received any tile from Sunniland.
MR. SPARKMAN: No, I didn't say tile. According to
Sunniland, they delivered $4,551.80 worth of materials, poly bond,
poly stuck, eaves drip, so there was some work done; is that correct?
MS. HAINES: Yeah, there was work done.
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay. And materials used from Sunniland?
MS. HAINES: Oh, I didn't know it was from Sunniland, no.
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay. But there were -- some materials
were put on the roof; is that correct?
MS. HAINES: Yes.
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay. The second check you wrote to Mr.
Schneider directly.
MS. HAINES: Right.
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay. Did you question Mr. Schneider as to
why you were writing that check to Mr. Schneider rather than to
Sunniland?
MS. HAINES: I did.
MR. SPARKMAN: I mean to Allison Roofing.
MS. HAINES: Yes, yes.
MR. SPARKMAN: What did he say?
MS. HAINES: Well, he said he needed to go do it right away
and he had to go get the material.
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay.
MS. HAINES: And I trusted him at the time.
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay. And did you call Mr. Allison and
talk to him about it?
Page 30
June 20, 2007
MS. HAINES: I didn't know there was a Mr. Allison.
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay. Thank you. I have no further
questions.
MR. JOSLIN: Mr. Sparkman, if I could just interrupt for one
second. In the packet I don't have -- unless I'm missing something
here -- I don't have a copy of the check that you're talking about.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: It's right here. Sunniland and
deposited by Sunniland. See it wrote in there?
How much -- let me go back to this crew that says they weren't
paid. Who are you talking about?
MS. HAINES: These were the men that took off the tile.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: How many?
MS. HAINES: There were five men and there was a woman that
spoke English. The other four men did not speak English.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Did you get the impression they
worked hourly or salary with Allison Roofing?
MS. HAINES: I didn't get any impression at the time when they
were doing the work.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: But there were five people?
MS. HAINES: There were five people.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Did you ever get insurance certificates
from Allison Roofing?
MS. HAINES: I don't think so.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: So you--
MS. HAINES: He -- the permit was gotten.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Just for the board's benefit,
he's got workers' compo exempt.
MR. JOSLIN: Right.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: So basically those people were not
insured unless they were insured by someone else.
So there were five people, and they had not been paid. And then
while I have you up here; I've read your file. You said Dr. Good Roof
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June 20, 2007
went ahead and finished the roof?
MS. HAINES: Correct.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: How much did you pay them to
finish?
MS. HAINES: I paid them about 35,000.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Thirty-five, okay. That's all I had.
Anybody else?
MS. KELLER: Do we have a copy of the lien? Because that
would give us an idea --
MS. HAINES: I don't have that.
MR. BLUM: Did you get liened?
MS. HAINES: I didn't get liened from them. I got liened from
the dumpster people, World Management, that -- and John Schneider
didn't pay them in full for the dumpsters, so there was a 400 and, I
think, 34 dollar lien that was placed on my house by the dumpster
people, which is presently my house.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I just got to ask you --
MS. HAINES: I know.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Do you remember --
MS. HAINES: I know.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: How's your husband's back?
MS. HAINES: He's getting a little bit better.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: He was in a lot of pain when I was at
your house.
MS. HAINES: A lot of pain, that's right.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And you remember my proposal.
MS. HAINES: Yes.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And it said no deposits.
MS. HAINES: I know.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And you remember why I told you,
don't make deposits.
MS. HAINES: I know. Don't trust people.
Page 32
June 20, 2007
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: What did you -- what were you
thinking of?
MS. HAINES: I don't know. I trusted him. You know, I think it
was because he was referred through a realtor. I've been a realtor for
30 years. And you know, when they refer people, they usually have a
lot of credibility. And the guy was a con guy, you know. He was
really nice. You were nice too, but --
MR. OSSORIO: Mr. Chairman, I do have one question.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Yeah.
MR. OSSORIO: Mrs. Haines, do you know what a notice of
owner is?
MS. HAINES: Notice of owner?
MR. OSSORIO: Yes.
MS. HAINES: No, I don't.
MR. OSSORIO: Notice of owner is a document that is supplied
by a supplier or a subcontractor to the owner letting them know that I
have dropped off materials or labor. Did you ever get one of those
from Sunniland?
MS. HAINES: No, no.
MR. OSSORIO: Okay. No more questions.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: There would be no lien rights.
MS. HAINES: Pardon?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: There's no lien rights unless they
serve one of those on you within 45 days of delivering material.
MS. HAINES: Oh. Well, the lien isn't from Sunniland though.
The lien is from waste -- the World Waste Products.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Did you receive a notice to owner
from the waste management people?
MS. HAINES: I think we did. You mean, that they were going
to put a lien on it?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: No, a notice to owner that would have
come by certified mail that they're doing work on your property. You
Page 33
June 20, 2007
may want an attorney to look at it.
MS. HAINES: I'm not sure.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: If they didn't serve one, the lien is
totally invalid.
MS. HAINES: Okay. I'm not sure.
MS. KELLER: An attorney will cost more than the lien.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Now there I go sending people to
attorneys again.
MS. KELLER: Les, the attorney will cost more than the lien.
MR. BLUM: It's got to be filed. Just check to see if the notice
was filed. It's public records. See if it's filed.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: If it's not filed, the lien may be no
good.
Anybody else have any other questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Do you have a redirect?
MR. WUHRER: No, I'm fine.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Go ahead and have a seat.
MS. HAINES: Okay, thank you.
MR. WUHRER: Mr. Chairman, we have no more questions.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Tell me your name again.
MR. SPARKMAN: Sparkman.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Sparkman.
MR. SPARKMAN: S-P-A-R-K-M-A-N.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I apologize for --
MR. SPARKMAN: Okay.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: -- doing that, but I didn't write it down
the first time.
Mr. Sparkman, the floor is yours, sir.
MR. SPARKMAN: Well, Mr. Chairman, we don't have any
testimony. I think that the -- you know, the -- I have the documents I
would like to submit, which I have offered before, if I may do it, and
Page 34
June 20, 2007
you may have most of them. These are the checks. These are --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: The check we have.
MR. SPARKMAN: -- where the money went. And again, I
think that it's clear from Mrs. Haines's testimony, the county
presentation, that we have an intervening criminal act by a Mr. John
Schneider, who exceeded his authority, and, you know, took this
lady's money.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Does Mr. Allison want to say
anything?
MR. SPARKMAN: Well, Mr. Allison--
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I sure would like to talk to him.
MR. SPARKMAN: Well, let Mr. Allison talk.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. If you would, Mr. Allison,
state your name, and I'll have you sworn.
MR. ALLISON: John Allison.
(The speaker was duly sworn.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: What happened? Besides you got
cheated, but --
MR. ALLISON: A nightmare in the middle of the day.
John had worked for me and everything, you know, was good.
No problems at all. And, I mean, all of a sudden, Mrs. Haines called
me -- and I've never met her. And I want to first off, right off the bat,
I am -- words can't explain. I'm sorry. I never had a clue that this was
gomg on.
And so I immediately got ahold of John Schneider, and he said
it's being taken care of, and I called Mrs. Haines back. And we had
conversed several times, and we got to know John Schneider,
unfortunately, in the realty, about the same time, because what he was
telling me, he was telling her, and none of it came to fruition. And--
MR. BLUM: How long had he worked for you?
MR. ALLISON: About a year before I -- it had been over a year,
but I shut him off about -- after we started talking, you know, and I
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June 20, 2007
seen that it wasn't going anywhere, about three or four or five month
ago, I guess I took him off of everything.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Did you give him authority to sign for
permits?
MR. ALLISON: Yes, I did, sir.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay.
MR. ALLISON: Yes, I did.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Second mistake.
MR. ALLISON: Oh, yes. Well, like I said, you know, she
trusted him, I trusted him, and you know, the work he did was good.
But anyways, make a long story short, in had the money, I'd pay it.
There's not a question in my -- my first intent is not to save my
license. The first intent is to take care of the people that he messed up.
And I can't apologize for that enough. If I had any clue that anybody
would be misdone like that, I'd have never done it.
MR. BLUM: Is Mrs. Haines the only one to your knowledge?
MR. ALLISON: He's made -- there was -- I'm not sure, four or
five, but he's made advancements to them to try to take care of it, and
we've got it agreed to, I think, so -- but I haven't talked with them.
MR. JOSLIN: Has there been any conversation with Mr.
Schneider since this happened?
MR. ALLISON: Oh, yeah. Last -- the last day of -- when we
was supposed to be here a month ago, he called and he talked to Mrs.
Haines and, you know, same thing, you know, I'll get something
Monday just to try to postpone this thing that was going on
Wednesday. Mrs. Haines wasn't here, so it was put off till this month.
And since that period of time, you know, I talked to him three or
four times. And I call him every day. I -- legally he should be put in
jail, but I'm trying to be a mediator here, try to get him to take care of
what he's done wrong. Ifhe's in jail, he can't do that and everything
lies on me.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Well, that was my next question, have
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June 20, 2007
you filed criminal charges?
MR. ALLISON: Right now I haven't, but I'm --like I said, and
the reason for that is, is I'm trying to give him every bit of opportunity
that I can, because any money that he was able to pay back, I wouldn't
have to pay back.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Because both you and the homeowner
have -- I mean, where is the white collar crime people? I mean this
guy should be in jail.
MR. ALLISON: Well, I agree.
MS. KELLER: And the courts are going to be more likely to get
money than we are.
MR. ALLISON: Yeah, I -- well, I told -- yeah. I called the
Collier County Police Department and have been talking with this
Detective Bascotto (phonetic) for -- since I talked to Mrs. Haines, and
he has -- had contact with John. I gave him the numbers, and so he's
been trying to get him to commit, too. And so I have been involved
with trying to deal with it that way.
My concern was is how we can do it and hold him accountable,
and I -- to make him feel the pressure to take care of this thing that he
did. Being in jail, I mean, he's going to pay that way, but he's not
going to pay, you know. And I don't say that in the wrong way. I
mean, it's not right.
MR. JOSLIN: In the evidence from the packet here it says that
Mr. Schneider left town, or after he recovered this money from these
people, that he left town. Is he back in town now?
MR. ALLISON: No.
MR. JOSLIN: No, he's still in another state?
MR. ALLISON: I've got his address.
MR. JOSLIN: So he's not local here?
MR. ALLISON: No, he was here at the time. You know, when
he worked for me he had been here, but he --
MR. JOSLIN: Right. But you're saying you've talked to him
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June 20, 2007
since in the past weeks, months?
MR. ALLISON: I've -- oh, yeah. I've talked to him three times,
the Wednesday a month ago, and then twice after that. And I told
him, I said, John, this is the scenario that's going on. You're supposed
to have money coming in and you're telling Mrs. Haines and me that
you've got money coming in. And I said, don't tell me you got
anything coming in unless you got it in your hand. I said, you're
counting your eggs before they hatch.
And I said, and you've done that five or six times, and it's nothing
but a lie. I said, your intent might be good, but it's not doing anything.
I said, you got promises coming to you. You're making promises and
promises that -- and it's --
MS. KELLER: Mike, are there other complaints against Allison
Roofing?
MR. OSSORIO: Not that I know of. There might be a
preliminary complaint, question, homeowners might call, but nothing
in writing, no.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I'm -- and, of course, that's my trade is
roofing, and I apologize if this offends you, but this is the first time in
my 25 years in the area that you and I have crossed paths, so
apparently you don't come down to Collier County very often, or I've
never seen you on any jobs in Collier County.
So you hold a Collier County license and a Lee County?
MR. ALLISON: Well, it's Florida state license.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. So you're state certified, okay.
But you normally don't work in this area, do you?
MR. ALLISON: Well, I do jobs in Country Creek and -- you
know, I'm not doing anything right now. Done three jobs this whole
year. Just unbelievable, but --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Well, you would have lost money on
this job anyway. It was not priced correctly to start with.
But any other questions?
Page 38
June 20, 2007
MR. JOSLIN: Also in the conversation, Mr. Dickson brought up
the fact that there were -- at the time that this job started for Allison
Roofing, there was five men working on the roof?
MR. ALLISON: Yes.
MR. JOSLIN: Could that have been without insurance?
MR. ALLISON: No. Everything that he done was through a
leasing company.
MR. JOSLIN: Do you know the name of the leasing company.
MR. ALLISON: Staff Leasing. No, I'm sorry. All Approach.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Staff Leasing went bankrupt.
MR. ALLISON: It wasn't Staff. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. All
Approach Staff. I'm sure it's All Approach. There's a difference
between Staff Leasing and All Approach Staff.
MR. JOSLIN: Staff Leasing's out of business though.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And that's not what your Certificate of
Insurance says though.
MR. ALLISON: What -- which one is that, sir?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Didn't I see one in here, guys?
MR. ALLISON: There should be one in there, ifthere's --
MR. LEWIS: Staff Leasing would be for your workers' compo
That won't show up here.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Wouldn't they pick up the liability
also?
MR. LEWIS: No.
MR. JOSLIN: Not necessarily.
MR. ALLISON: The liability you have to have to have the
certificate.
MR. OSSORIO: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Go ahead.
MR. OSSORIO: That's at E5, Certificate of Detail, and it just
shows you that John Allison has registered his license with our office,
and we require them to show liability insurance or show a workers'
Page 39
June 20, 2007
compo exemption or a workers' compo policy, either/or.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Go to E12, Certificate of Exemption,
Allison Roofing, for workers' compensation.
MR. JOSLIN: Right.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Come on.
MR. OSSORIO: Yeah, but if you go down on E5, in the last
section, it says, workers' compensation insurance, and it says, WC
exempt, yes. That's our policy. It's either/or.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And here I'm looking at the state
form, state letter here, dated -- 11/19/05, was the effective date. If you
were -- if you were not workers' compo exempt and you were under
some leasing program, there's a document in your file that directly
disagrees with that and negates that.
MR. LEWIS: Not necessarily.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: No. Why?
MR. LEWIS: Because he, as the owner of the company, he can
exempt himself. That's all he has to show to register his license with
the county or the state.
MR. JOSLIN: The leasing company would provide the
workmen's compo certificate.
MR. LEWIS: Right. And that's a certificate that would be sent
out individually to the individuals as requested by the contractor.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: That's something I'm not aware of.
MR. LEWIS: We could probably get some clarification because
I believe Mr. Herriman can weigh in on that.
MR. WUHRER: Mr. Chairman? Mr. Chairman, I also had an
experience just a couple days ago regarding workmen's comp out of
Fort Myers area, Bonita area, and I was told by that company that they
have never sent copies to the county unless it was requested by the
contractor. I thought that was kind of strange. And they not going to
do that anymore. May have been a similar circumstance, that's all I'm
saymg.
Page 40
June 20, 2007
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Well, I'm glad that the state is
getting rid of exempt contractors. It's been a long time coming.
Any other questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Thank you, Mr. Allison.
Do have you anything more?
MR. SPARKMAN: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Mr. Sparkman.
Mr. Wuhrer, if you would, closing remarks, please.
MR. WUHRER: Yes, sir. I think it's been -- it's been shown that
the case that's been stated by the county is, in fact, fairly clear. It's
unfortunate for Mr. Allison that he had a gentleman like this working
for him, but the acts were committed nonetheless, and he's going to
have to live with the consequences, I'm afraid.
So my understanding is that Mr. Schneider is in Michigan,
although he has the address; he could probably give you a better
understanding, so it's going to be something that somebody else would
have to take care of.
So I think that's all I really have to say.
MR. JOSLIN: In your opinion, what -- you looked at the job
actually, looked at the roof?
MR. WUHRER: No, I did not.
MR. JOSLIN: You did not.
MR. WUHRER: The roof was CO'ed.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Mr. Sparkman, closing remarks?
MR. SPARKMAN: Yes, sir. Again, I think we all understand
what took place here. Here's a man who has worked as a competent
roofer for 17 years with a state license, has never had a complaint or
violation. He had a man work with him that he trusted, and the man
committed some crimes. We are going to follow up on that.
The only thing that Mr. Allison can do is try to make Mrs. Haines
whole. What we have said to Mrs. Haines from the inception is, if --
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June 20, 2007
we'd pay you if we could, but we are not going to make an offer we
can't -- we can't maintain.
And at this juncture, this is this man's -- small roofers, generally
he and, I believe, his son, can pay 500 a month at this point, and ifhe
comes up with more money, he could pay that.
Our recommendation is the board place Mr. Allison or Allison
Roofing on probation, require him to make payments, and if he
doesn't, then suspend his license. If you put him out of business then,
of course, he doesn't have the money or the capability to make any
restitution whatsoever at all and it doesn't do anything for the board, it
doesn't do anything for Collier County, and it doesn't do anything for
Mrs. Haines.
It's not a question of a man who doesn't know how to roof,
doesn't -- it's not a question of a man who did bad roofs. It's not a
question that this man did anything wrong other than trust someone,
and that man began to commit crimes and steal money from
customers. We've all seen it and some of us have been there.
So I request that the board consider a probation and some form of
reimbursement option. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Do I hear a motion to close the public
hearing.
MR. BAR TOE: I have a question.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay.
MR. BLUM: I have a question, too.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay.
MR. BARTOE: Have we established a figure as to how much--
MR. BLUM: That's where I was going.
MR. BARTOE: -- the Haines are out--
MR. BLUM: Yeah.
MR. BARTOE: -- monetarily?
MR. BLUM: Yeah, a certain amount of work has already been
done.
Page 42
June 20, 2007
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Whoa, stop. State certified license.
Only thing we can do is take away permit-pulling privileges in Collier
County, correct, Mr. Neale?
MR. NEALE: Well, I was just reviewing that. What the board
can do is --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Can I get a motion to close the public
hearing while he's looking that up?
MR. JOSLIN: So moved, Joslin.
MR. LEWIS: Second, Lewis.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: All those in favor?
MR. HERRIMAN: Aye.
MR. LEWIS: Aye.
MR. BLUM: Aye.
MS. KELLER: Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Aye.
MR. JOSLIN: Aye.
MR. HORN: Aye.
MR. BOYD: Aye.
MR. GUITE': Aye.
MR. NEALE: There's two choices the board has basically. They
deny the issuance of Collier County or city building permits or require
the issuance with certain -- with specific conditions.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: But we don't have restitution and all
of that available to us?
MR. NEALE: It could be argued that the -- one of the conditions
could be restitution. I think that's an argument that could be made.
There is one issue, since the board has closed the public hearing,
that I would like to request a brief recess so I can do a little research,
is that the charge is fraud that's being made, and what I'd like to do is
pull the elements and definition of fraud out to brief the board on that.
So if I could have a moment to pull those elements and have them
here.
June 20, 2007
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Well-- and while we're on this -- and
we can do the break -- we have never -- we've only dealt with two
state licenses in here that Mr. Ossorio has brought to us, and that's all
we had the right to do was permit-pulling privileges in Collier County
and refer it on to the state for their action.
MR. NEALE: Right.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And the fraud issue is 489.126, isn't
it?
MR. LEWIS: Seven.
MR. NEALE: It's a specific charge in the Collier County
ordinance. That's one of the -- and it comes from 489, but it's one of
the specific ways in which the county charge -- one of the specific
things the county can charge a state contractor with.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Let's take a quick -- Mike?
MR. OSSORIO: I just wanted to clarify one thing. The county's
not looking for -- to do any kind of mediation. That's going to be on
the state level. What we're looking for is a -- this company, this
qualifier, mismanaged his employee, and his company committed
fraud.
With that, we would recommend that you pull his building permit
privileges in Collier County and send it up to Tallahassee to the state
licensing board, let them deal with it on the state level, not the local
level. So I just don't want to hash out how much money and
mediation. That's not our -- that's not our term, that's not our battle to
fight.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: No. Okay. Take a quick 10-minute,
8-minute -- well, be back here at 10:20; 10:20, and you know I'm
prompt.
(A brief recess was had.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. I'd like to call back to order the
meeting of Collier County Contractor Licensing Board.
Mr. Neale, the stage is yours.
Page 44
June 20, 2007
MR. NEALE: All right. I just wanted to get the elements of
fraud so that the board can consider them properly.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Can you pull your mike a little bit --
MR. NEALE: Sure can. And the citation I'll be using is out of
Black's Law Dictionary, and particular from the Citizens Standard
Life Insurance Company versus Gilley case. And the elements or the
cause of action for fraud include a false representation of a present or
past fact made by the defendant, action or reliance upon such
misrepresentation by the plaintiff, in this case the homeowner, and
damage resulting to the plaintiff from such misrepresentation, so those
are the elements that have to be found to --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Say those again.
MR. NEALE: That there has to be a false representation or
misrepresentation by, in this case, the respondent, action reliance by --
thereupon by the homeowner in this case, and damage resulting to the
homeowner from that misrepresentation.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. You want to give us directions
before we --
MR. NEALE: Yes, sir, I will.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: -- go further. Public hearing is closed.
MR. NEALE: The board in its deliberations on this case shall
ascertain that fundamental fairness and due process were afforded to
the respondent; however, pursuant to the Collier County ordinance,
section 22-205G5, the formal rules of evidence as set out in Florida
Statutes shall not apply.
The board, in its deliberations, shall consider solely the evidence
presented at this hearing and it shall exclude from its deliberation
irrelevant, immaterial, and cumulative testimony.
It shall emit and consider all other evidence of a type commonly
relied upon by a reasonably prudent person of the conduct of their
affairs. This is whether or not the evidence so admitted would be
admissible in a court oflaw or equity.
Page 45
June 20, 2007
As noted by the board previously, hearsay may be used to
explain or supplement any other evidence, but by itself it is not
sufficient to support a finding in this or any other case before this
board unless it would be admissible over objection in the civil court.
The standard established for sanctions such as those available in
a case such as this is a preponderance of the evidence, the same
standard as a normal civil case. The standard and evidence are to be
weighed solely as to the charges set out in the complaint as ordinance
90-105, section 4.2.4 of the Collier County code of evidence, and that
is -- Collier County code of ordinances, which is fraud.
In order to support a finding that the respondent is in violation of
the ordinance, the board must find facts that showed the violations
were actually committed by the respondent. The facts must also show
to a clear and convincing standard, the legal conclusion that the
respondent was in violation of the relevant sections.
I'd just like to, you know, I've already reviewed but I'd like to
review the elements of fraud, which are the false representation of a
fact made by the respondent and an action reliance by the victim and
damage resulting from that misrepresentation.
This charge is the only one the board may decide upon, as it is
the only one to which the respondent has had the opportunity to
prepare a defense.
And the damages, if found, must be directly related to this
charge, may not be from any unrelated matter.
The decision made by this board shall be stated orally at this
hearing and is effective upon being read by the board. The
respondent, if found in violation, has certain appeal rights to this
board, the courts and the state construction industry licensing board as
set out in the ordinance and the Florida Statutes and the rules.
If the board is unable to issue a decision immediately following
the hearing because of questions of law or other matters of such a
nature that a decision may not be made at this hearing, the board may
Page 46
June 20, 2007
withhold its decision until a subsequent meeting.
The board shall base -- both based upon the evidence presented
on all areas, if it finds the respondent in violation, adopt the
administrative complaint. The board shall also make findings of facts
and conclusions of law in support of the charges set out in the
administrative complaint.
And the board may deliberate on the charges.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Board members, right off the
bat, let's look at 4.2.4, fraud. Do we keep it or do we throw it out?
MR. BLUM: Keep it.
MR. JOSLIN: Keep as it.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Only thing I'm questioning is the
license holder did not commit the fraud.
MR. JOSLIN: License holder is responsible.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: He might be responsible, but he didn't
actually do it and the way I'm understanding what Mr. Neale is
reading, that charge is invalid. Am I off base? License holder didn't
do it.
MR. LEWIS: I don't think so because he authorized the person
that was working for him, which is evident by the evidence presented
by the county packet, page E7. If you refer to E7, it's definitely
Allison Roofing Systems, Inc., state license contractor number, which
is his license number. You know also, just FYI, it shows a Marco
Island address and fax number and phone number. I don't have --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: That was Schneider.
MR. LEWIS: Yeah. I have no idea whether the -- he was
licensed to do business in Collier County or not as far as occupational
license, but that's not what we're here for.
So my opinion is that as the license holder, he represented
himself by hiring that employee and therefore is responsible for the
fraud as presented.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: But his authorization did not authorize
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June 20, 2007
him to commit felonies.
MS. KELLER: But usually when we talk about being a license,
people are, you know, told when they get -- when they get their
license that they are financially responsible and they have to oversee
every project. And it's clear to me that even ifhe did have a license in
Collier County, he was not taking the fiduciary responsibility he had
to monitor the projects here, so that's --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I don't -- yeah. Mr. Neale, legalese?
MR. NEALE: Well, the fact that he was operating under the
supervision of the respondent could allow the board to find that he
committed the fraud while acting on behalf of the respondent's
company. And since the respondent is responsible for the actions at
his company, under the -- under the ordinance 489, you know, the
board could find that he has committed -- that the company has
committed fraud under the supervision of Mr. Allison.
MR. JOSLIN: That's pretty poorly dictated, because we have a
contract signed by Schneider and we also have a power of attorney
that he received from Allison Roofing that allowed it to be --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I have never, ever --
MR. BLUM: Very clear.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: -- argued that fraud was not
committed, people, but we're talking to the license holder. That's the
only person that this -- fraud is all over the place, okay? No question
about it. But we're dealing with the license holder. So you all want to
keep it in, we keep it in.
MR. BLUM: Absolutely.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. I just don't want to get it
kicked back, and I think it will get kicked back.
MR. BLUM: No way.
MR. JOSLIN: Can't see how.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. His conduct is -- really I just
need one charge to work on. So both charges, 4.2, misconduct of state
Page 48
June 20, 2007
certified contractors and 4.2.4, fraud, do I hear any discussion or
motions?
MR. BLUM: I'll make the motion that we find for the plaintiff,
that misconduct and fraud have been committed by or in the name of
Allison Roofing.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: License holder.
MR. BLUM: License holder of record, case number 2007-07,
license number CCC050481.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: John Allison. Do I hear a second?
MR. JOSLIN: I'll second the motion.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Do I hear any discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Yeah, there isn't much discussion, is
there?
MR. JOSLIN: It's discussed.
MR. GUITE': What is this power of attorney for? Is it blanket
power of attorney?
MR. BLUM: Pretty much.
MR. GUITE': You could have a blanket power of attorney?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: We never were given it. Mr. Neale,
you want to chime in? It's not in the packet.
MR. BLUM: It's been mentioned that Mr. Schneider has made
deposits and he didn't make this deposit into Mr. Alison's account. He
had pretty much carte blanche.
MR. NEALE: Absent the -- having the power of attorney in
front of me, I can't define what it says or what it grants him power to
do or whatever.
MR. GUITE': But it might be just power of attorney just to pull
the permits, not to actually go out and do the banking for the
company.
MR. BLUM: Does that matter, really, for what we're doing?
MR. GUITE': I think it does, because I don't think he committed
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June 20, 2007
the fraud. I think Mr. Schneider committed the fraud. He's guilty by,
what, proxy? I mean, I don't think that's fair to him.
MR. BLUM: He's got to be responsible for people out there
representing him, and he's got to oversee them.
MR. GUITE': He has taken that responsibility.
MR. BLUM: And when he gets a phone call from a customer
that says, where's my money --
MR. GUITE': And he has taken that responsibility. He has not
put that onto the wayside.
MR. BLUM: I don't see it that way at all.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I'm going to go back. I'm going to
make -- I'm going to make a motion that the fraud charge be removed.
Do I have a second?
MR. GUITE': I'll second.
MR. BLUM: Whoa, whoa, whoa.
MR. NEALE: You've still got a motion on the floor --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Oh, I've got -- what?
MR. NEALE: You've got a motion on the floor --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I do have a motion on the floor.
Okay. I can't do that.
MR. LEWIS: Les, before you go there. Let me bring this up.
Just hypothetically thinking, clear your heads for a minute. Look at
the time frame that this is happening, listen to the testimony that was
given by Mr. Allison.
Simply stated -- and I'll paraphrase -- the man was renting out his
license to John Schneider to go down here and do contracting business
in Collier County without his supervision. How many times has this
board sat here and discussed with contractors that rent out their
license? This is exactly the same thing that we're talking about.
Yeah, maybe the guy didn't mean -- maybe he didn't mean it to
happen.
I know I'm responsible for what happens in my company, just as
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June 20, 2007
the rest of us are that have companies. And in that, I just -- and it may
be conjecture on my part, but this sounds look a typical case of, I'm
exempt, I'm renting my license, and I'm letting somebody else run a
business under my general license, and that's exactly what this looks
like to me.
Now, whether it is or not, I don't know.
MR. GUITE': Well, he--
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: No.
MR. LEWIS: Yes.
MR. BLUM: That's what I first thought.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Response.
MR. GUITE': I didn't think of that. I didn't--
MR. BLUM: We still have a motion on the floor.
MR. GUITE': Nothing was presented to that effect, so I didn't--
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Pardon me?
MR. GUITE': Nothing was presented to that effect that he was
passing his license to this John Schneider.
MR. LEWIS: And I agree. I'm just throwing this out as
conjecture.
MR. GUITE': I was under the impression that John Schneider
was like his supervisor, salesman. And I know of a lot of companies
out there where there's -- you know, salesman will take the payments,
and maybe not physically do the banking, but --
MR. LEWIS: Well, that's the whole point of my message there is
to think about it.
MR. BLUM: Can we ask the question? Was he allowed to do
banking? Let's ask the question.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Doesn't matter.
MR. BLUM: I don't think it matters either, but if that's what you
want to know, ask.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Doesn't matter.
MR. LEWIS: So under the -- under the definitions that were
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June 20, 2007
given to us by our attorney of fraud, false representation, it's
happened; action by the owner has happened; and damages have
occurred. That's the definition of fraud, and that gentleman, according
to the license of the State of Florida and Collier County is responsible
for what happens under his license, and that's all -- that's all that we
can attest to at this point.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Any more discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Call for the vote. Vote is guilty of
both charges; is that correct?
MR. NEALE: Of the one charge.
MR. LEWIS: There's only one charge.
MR. NEALE: One charge, fraud.
MS. KELLER: Misconduct.
MR. BLUM: Misconduct and fraud.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I thought we could go the misconduct
route by itself.
MR. NEALE: No. Fraud is a subset. What it says is -- it
probably wasn't raised. The only charge out there is fraud --
MR. LEWIS: Correct.
MR. NEALE: -- because fraud is one of the elements of -- one of
the types of misconduct that can be presented -- committed by a state
contractor.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Call for the vote. All those in favor?
MR. HERRIMAN: Aye.
MR. LEWIS: Aye.
MR. BLUM: Aye.
MS. KELLER: Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Aye.
MR. JOSLIN: Aye.
MR. HORN: Aye.
MR. BOYD: Aye.
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June 20, 2007
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Opposed?
MR. GUITE': Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: One. Okay. You want to do -- do we
need to go through penalty phase? Being state certified, did you
define that?
MR. NEALE: Well, you know, the sanctions that the board may
consider in a case of a state certified contractor is that the board may
deny the issuance of Collier County or city building permits or require
the issuance of said permits with specific conditions.
And then determining what sanctions to impose, the board shall
consider the brevity of the violation, the impact of the violation, any
actions taken by the violator to correct the violation, previous
violations committed by the violator, and any other evidence
presented at the hearing by the parties relevant as to the sanction that's
appropriate.
The board also shall issue a recommended penalty for the state
construction industry licensing board. And recommendations that the
board may make are recommendation of no further action, a
recommendation of suspension, revocation, or restriction of the
registration or certification, or a fine to be levied by the state board.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: So we can include a state -- a fine.
What about restitution by the state?
MR. NEALE: Those are the only recommendations this board
can make.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Just the fine.
MR. NEALE: Fine for unlicensed actions.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Discussion?
MS. KELLER: Well, I think we want to do whatever we can to
get restitution for her, an amount that we are not to determine because
it's under the state, right?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Yeah, but the state's going to have to
do that because all we can do is a fine and a fine stays with the state.
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June 20, 2007
MR. BLUM: I will tell you, truthfully, my heart goes out to Mr.
Allison. I believe he was duped. I believe he may have made some
unfortunate business decisions that affected his livelihood for many,
many years.
I think all of us somewhere along the line in business have made
bad business decisions and live to regret it. We have to pay the piper.
I personally would feel a whole -- having been somewhere like
that in the past, get this lady paid off and get her paid off quick and,
boy, it would make a difference to me, I got to tell you that.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Well, I don't feel sorry for Mr. Allison
because he wasn't running his company correctly, and if it was -- if
someone asked me if I was going to take $500 a month for the next
five to six years and having to be calling and wondering if the check's
ever going to show up, I wouldn't have accepted it either.
MR. BLUM: Nope.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I personally think Mr. Allison needs
to have permit privileges in Collier County revoked.
MR. BLUM: Positively.
MS. KELLER: Yes.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And I think he needs to be out of
Collier County. It's the worst case that I've seen that's been so blatant
in a long, long time, many, many years, and Mr. Allison's responsible
for it.
So with that, I'll make a motion, I'm -- I make the motion that,
number one, permit-pulling privileges in Collier County be rescinded
and revoked, any permits that are presently going on -- are there any?
MR. BARTOE: That would have to be checked.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: If they are -- do you have any permits
in Collier County now?
MR. ALLISON: (Shakes head.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Not an issue. Rescind all
privileges for permits in Collier County, and this file be sent to the
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June 20, 2007
state with the recommendation of possible revocation, depending on
any other cases that are in other counties throughout the state, and also
the recommendation that restitution be forwarded back to the
homeowners here, the Haines, if that's at all possible, and fines be
imposed accordingly. I can't go any further than that, can I, Mr.
Neale?
MR. LEWIS: Can't do restitution either.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I can ask for it, but--
MR. NEALE: One thing that you may want to include in your
motion is not just Collier County, but the City of Marco Island, City
of Naples, City of Everglades.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Even though they're within the
county?
MR. NEALE: Even though they're within the county, you may
want to make it specific.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. And my motion does include
all city entities within Collier County.
MR. OSSORIO: Mr. Neale, just for the record, Everglades City
has its own. We have no jurisdiction over that city.
MR. NEALE: Oh, okay.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Which would include Marco and City
of Naples, and that's about it.
MR. JOSLIN: Would this motion change any if by some strange
coincidence Mr. Allison is able to pay these people off?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Wouldn't change my opinion in the
slightest.
MR. LEWIS: Mr. Chairman, would you be willing to amend
your motion to also include as a recommendation to the state the
maximum allowable fine according to the Florida Statutes by the state
contractor licensing industry board?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I would amend the motion to include
recommendation of maximum allowable fine that the state could
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June 20, 2007
Impose.
MR. LEWIS: I'll second that motion.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: All those in favor?
MR. HERRIMAN: Aye.
MR. LEWIS: Aye.
MR. BLUM: Aye.
MS. KELLER: Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Aye.
MR. JOSLIN: Aye.
MR. HORN: Aye.
MR. BOYD: Aye.
MR. GUITE': Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Find my form here.
Mr. Neale, do you want to read it. Do you want me to?
MR. NEALE: I'll let you do it.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Let me -- I don't want your
computer this time.
MR. NEALE: Okay.
MR. JOSLIN: Need one?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: You got one there?
MR. JOSLIN: I may.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I got it here.
Board of Collier County Commissioners, Collier County, Florida,
is the petitioner, versus John L. Allison, Senior, d/b/a Allison Roofing
Systems, Incorporated, case number 2007-07, license number, state
license CCC050481.
This cause came on for public hearing before the contractor
licensing board June 20, 2007, for consideration of a complaint filed
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June 20, 2007
against John L. Allison, Senior, was made by certified mail and
personal delivery with Collier County ordinance number 90-105 as
amended.
The board having heard testimony under oath, received evidence
and heard arguments respective to all appropriate matters, thereupon
issues its findings of fact, conclusion oflaw, and order of the board as
follows:
That John L. Allison, Senior, is the holder of record of Certificate
of Competency number CCC050481.
Number two, the Board of Collier County Commissioners of
Collier County, Florida, is the complainant in this matter.
Number three, that the board has jurisdiction of the person, of the
respondent, and that John L. Allison was present at the public hearing
and was represented by counsel.
Number four, all notices required by Collier County ordinance
number 90-105, as amended, have been properly issued.
Number five, the allegations of fact as set forth until the
administrative complaint are approved, adopted, and incorporated
herein by reference as findings of fact.
Conclusion of law: The conclusion of law alleged and -- alleged
and set forth in the administrative complaint are approved, adopted,
and incorporated herein, be it 4.2.4, which is under 4.2, misconduct of
state certified roofing contractors.
The following actions by state certified roofing contractors shall
constitute misconduct and grounds for discipline pursuant to 4.3 of
this ordinance, and that is 4.2.4, fraud.
Order of the board: Based upon the foregoing findings of facts
and conclusion oflaw pursuant to the authority granted in chapter 489,
Florida Statutes, and Collier County ordinance number 90-105, as
amended, by a vote of eight? Nine? Nine in favor and zero opposed.
MS. KELLER: One was opposed, wasn't it?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Yeah, you're right. That vote was
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June 20, 2007
eight in favor, one opposed, for the conclusion of law. The order of
the board by a vote of nine in favor and zero opposed.
It's ordered that the following disciplinary sanctions and related
order are hereby imposed on the holder of Certificate of Competency
number CCC050481 :
Number one, revocation of all permit-pulling privileges in Collier
County effective immediately.
Number two, that this case be sent to Tallahassee for action by
the Florida state board of contractor licensing with the
recommendation that revocation be considered.
And number three, that the state board impose the maximum fine
allowable by law in this case.
That was that, wasn't it?
MR. BLUM: Good job.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: The rest is done.
MR. BARTOE: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Yes, sir.
MR. BARTOE: For clarification, the state license number is the
CCC number you've been quoting. The Certificate of Competency
number is 24665.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: That was nowhere in the complaint.
MR. BARTOE: That's correct. It's on this certificate.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And we took action on the state
license only, but -- whoa, stop. He has a competency card as well as a
state license?
MR. OSSORIO: No, he has a certificate. That is -- any state
certified contractor has to have a certificate to be able to pull building
permits, and that's --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Well, yeah, I've got that, but it won't
get me a cup of coffee, much less a permit. Okay. Makes no -- means
nothing.
MR. JOSLIN: You need a cup though.
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June 20, 2007
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Yeah. Mr. Allison, we wish you well
with your problems, but your problems got way out of hand, and we
had to shut 'er down. Your case is closed. Thank you, gentlemen and
ladies.
Next case, jumping right into it. I have reviewed this case, and
I'm sure some of you have because I've never seen anything like it
before. I speak bluntly, if you haven't figured that out.
Case number 2007-08, Mark Radenbush, d/b/a Idyll
Construction, Incorporated. In my opinion, from what I see, there is
active and ongoing litigation in this case at the present time. And we
-- Mr. Neale, we've never heard a case that had active litigation.
MR. NEALE: That has been the policy of the board in the past is
that cases that have active litigation would not be heard by this board.
It's certainly within the purview of the board if you wish to hear it,
but the policy in the past and my recollection has been that the board
does not hear cases with active litigation.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Mr. Ossorio, given that, why did this
come forward, or is it up to us to stop it at that point, or you just
recommend it or what happened?
MR. OSSORIO: If you're looking for my recommendation as the
licensing supervisor, I recommend we hear the case. In didn't (sic)
think that this case is not warranted, I would not have brought it.
This case is about a code issue, and I've also been trained in the
past, and with talking with the state, code violations seem to transcend
into what is the responsibility of the licensing board to hear cases.
Obviously if this was misconduct or fraud or other natures, we
wouldn't be here today. But this is a case that was brought by Mr.
Knapp, who is the owner of 230 Lely Barefoot Beach, and he has
some issue, some code issues, and it was CO'ed back in April 29th, in
2005.
And the building director went out there and looked at some of
these items and wrote us a letter, and I'll read those into evidence if we
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June 20, 2007
hear this case.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And this board's never heard a code
case. Why would we start here?
MR. OSSORIO: No, it's not a code case. Code violations of the
Florida Building Code. This is not a -- obviously this is a charge
under the 2006-46 ordinance. When I mean code, I'm not talking
about the Land Development Code. I'm talking about the Florida
Building Code of technical requirements that inspectors do onjob
sites.
But we've heard many code violations on this burden, just we
haven't had two attorneys going at each other and it hasn't been in
open litigation before.
MR. GUITE': When was it CO'ed?
MR. OSSORIO: April 29, 2005.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Mr. Zachary, what's your take?
MR. ZACHARY: I don't have much to add except exactly what
you've already said, that this board has not been in the habit of taking
cases or hearing cases that involve litigation.
I understand Mr. Ossorio's concern about building code
violations that may be present, but there's still the tradition this board
has had of not hearing those cases until the litigation has been
completed.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Mr. Neale, would you explain why we
have that tradition?
MR. NEALE: I believe that the board's feeling on that was that
they did not want to have the decision of the board influence ongoing
litigation, that the board's decision would not be -- that they didn't
want the board's decision to be able to be used in the court of laws as
probative one way or the other.
MR. ZACHARY: We've been concerned in the past -- and I'm
not saying that this is the case here. But there are -- there were cases
where we could clearly see that this board was being used for leverage
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June 20, 2007
for the civil matter. So that's another certain that always comes up
with ongoing litigation of cases being before this board.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Mr. Neale, you are our attorney.
What would your recommendation be?
MR. NEALE: Well, my recommendation is that it would require
a finding of the new policy by this board to hear this case today, so it
would be breaking with at least 10 years of precedent that I know of in
hearing this case.
If it is a code violation, it might more appropriately be brought
before the code enforcement board as opposed to this board, but that's
not something I'm willing to opine on. But it would require this board
to change a long-standing policy to hear this case.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: And I've been here 20 years, and it's
never happened, so I can speak for another 10.
MR. LEWIS: Mr. Chairman, what's your suggestion?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: My suggestion is we don't hear it
because there has been numerous attempts in the 20 years that I've
been here where this is used for a springboard on civil litigation or
they take findings and things that are said in here, even though it's
quasijudicial and we do accept hearsay, and they use those in civil
litigation.
I don't see an emergency or something that -- I have read through
all of this. There's not something that anyone in the public is in
immediate danger. There's obviously bad blood, and a lot of bad
blood, but I'm not seeing code issues to the extent to where I need to,
to protect the public, shut down a licensed contractor. I see it as a
civil matter.
My recommendation is we don't hear it.
MR. HERRIMAN: I so move that recommendation that we do
not hear this case.
MR. BLUM: I'll second it.
MS. KELLER: I think we'd be flooded every month with people
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June 20, 2007
that are currently in litigation trying to get us to opine on their cases,
and that's sort of a dangerous --
MR. JOSLIN: Mr. Dickson, these are more contractor--
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: One at a time.
MR. JOSLIN: -- homeowner disputes, from my readings.
MR. OSSORIO: Before you actually render -- if it's possible,
would you want to hear from Mr. Knapp's attorney briefly, or you just
don't want to hear --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I'd like to hear from both of them
because they sure are entitled to that after sitting here for two hours.
Why don't both attorneys come forward, if you would.
MR. NEALE: You've got a motion and a second on the floor.
MR. BLUM: If we're not going to hear the case, why do we
want to do this?
MR. NEALE: Yeah.
MR. BLUM: This doesn't seem right here.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Just courtesy.
MR. NEALE: Well--
MR. JOSLIN: Let's take it off the floor then.
MR. BLUM: This goes nowhere.
MR. NEALE: Do you have a motion and second, Mr. Herriman?
MR. HERRIMAN: I made a motion.
MR. BLUM: You've got a motion and a second.
MR. NEALE: Okay.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Yeah.
MR. NEALE: I would be concerned having--
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Sorry, guys.
MR. NEALE: -- testimony on the record if the board is going to
proceed with not hearing the case. And then if it comes along
subsequently after the litigation's settled and the board does hear this
case, I would be concerned that there had been previous testimony
outside of that hearing that the board would have heard.
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June 20, 2007
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. You guys understand that,
don't you? You all understand that, don't you?
MR. LEWIS: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Yes, go ahead.
MR. LEWIS: Prior to consent of vote, I think it would behoove
the board to have some type of evidence that there is litigation actually
going on with this case.
MR. NEALE: Yeah, I think that is appropriate because if -- there
needs to be some evidence brought forth, and that's a good point by
Mr. Lewis, that there is, in fact, continuing litigation, because ifthere's
not --
MR. LEWIS: We should hear the case.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Is that even disputed that there's
continuing litigation?
MR. LEWIS: I think if we just--
MS. KELLER: It's in the Circuit Court right here. In the Circuit
Court is the first page.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Come forward.
MR. JOSLIN: Well, we've still got a motion on the table.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I mean, I opened up the book like not
knowing where to go, and the first thing I come to is a lawsuit.
MR. NEALE: Well, you have a motion and a second, and I
believe that this could be considered to be essentially discussion or
testimony on that motion. This motion and second hasn't been voted
on yet.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Turn to tab two. First thing you come
to is the lawsuit.
MS. KELLER: And tab one as well.
MR. LEWIS: But you've got to remember, this is not evidence
yet. We haven't asked -- taken this into evidence.
MR. BLUM: We're asking about civil litigation. There it is.
MR. LEWIS: You have to present that as evidence.
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June 20, 2007
MR. NEALE: Yeah. You can actually take notice of the -- of
this packet. The board can take official notice of the packet because --
MR. JOSLIN: Can we hear portions of this case just to--
MR. BLUM: Why?
MR. NEALE: I would suggest the only thing to hear, because of
the motion that's on the floor, is whether there is ongoing litigation or
not --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Discussion only.
MR. NEALE: -- and then let the board decide on that matter, and
then if the board decides that they want to hear the case, then proceed
to hear the case. If not, then the case is done for the day.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Discussion on the motion?
MR. NEALE: I do believe that it would be appropriate to hear
some testimony on the record that there is, in fact, litigation going on.
MR. LEWIS: From both attorneys.
MR. NEALE: From both parties, too.
MS. KELLER: Well, why don't we put this into evidence
because it's in there?
MR. NEALE: I think -- what I would suggest is not having that
into evidence because then, again, it's the same issue as hearing
testimony on the merits of the case, as you would have had this as
testimony that you would have heard, you know. It would be official
part of the records.
MR. LEWIS: If it behooves the board, I respectfully request that
both attorneys for the parties in this case come forward, and since
they're attorneys of the court, report to us as to the continuance of the
-- or if there is a lawsuit.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Go ahead. Just state your name. I
don't need to have you sworn in.
MR. SLACK: Mr. Chairman and board, my name is Mark Slack.
I'm an attorney of Collier County, Florida, and as an officer of the
court, I represent to you that there is continuing ongoing litigation,
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June 20, 2007
both a -- an original complaint filed by the Knapps and a counterclaim
filed by Idyll Construction. It's case number 05-1296-CA-THB.
MR. LEWIS: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Thank you, sir.
Yes, sir, your name, sir?
MR. HAJEK: Joshua Hajek, attorney in Collier and Lee
Counties. Represent the Knapps. The representation is correct, there
is ongoing litigation, although I would submit to the board that the
code issues at issue here can be and should be considered separate
from that litigation.
MR. LEWIS: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Thank you. Okay. Discussion on the
-- thank you, gentlemen.
Discussion on the motion, which is not to hear this?
MR. OSSORIO: Mr. Chairman, can I just speak for one second,
smce --
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Of course you can.
MR. OSSORIO: -- both attorneys had to.
As a licensing contracting supervisor, it is my job to enforce
2006-46, Collier County contractor licensing ordinance. And the
previous building director, Bill Hammond felt the same.
This is a case -- and I believe I agree with Mr. Hajek, the -- Mr.
Knapp's attorney, in saying that this is actually separate. This is a
code issue back in 2005, no matter what it was, electrical, plumbing,
mechanical, safety, nonsafety. I believe that this actually transcends
civil litigation, and that's my opinion as a licensing officer, and
obviously that's my opinion and my staffs opinion, is that we've put a
lot of time and effort into this. I'm neutral to both parties.
But as of -- this place had been CO'ed back in 2005, in April. I
believe that the county has a responsibility, an obligation to Mr.
Knapp to make sure that this builder completes the technical
requirements of the 2001 Florida Building Code.
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June 20, 2007
MR. JOSLIN: But did you not say that this house has already
been CO'ed in 2005?
MR. OSSORIO: That's right.
MR. JOSLIN: How did it get a Certificate of Occupancy if there
are code issues or violations?
MR. OSSORIO: Well, Mr. Joslin, I know you're a builder--
MR. BLUM: We've got to stop.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: We're getting into the case.
MR. OSSORIO: We can get into that in the case. I'm not going
to elaborate more on that, but that's part of the docket and that's part of
the -- my case summary, and I haven't submitted that evidence into the
board, but that's just our concern.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Any more discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I'm -- personally I'm going to follow
the lead of the attorney that's hired to represent us, so -- keep us out of
trouble.
MR. BLUM: I think the original motion still stands.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Motion still stands.
Anybody else have discussion on it?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: All those in favor?
MR. HERRIMAN: Aye.
MR. LEWIS: Aye.
MR. BLUM: Aye.
MS. KELLER: Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Aye.
MR. JOSLIN: Aye.
MR. HORN: Aye.
MR. BOYD: Aye.
MR. GUITE': Aye.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Opposed?
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June 20, 2007
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: It's unanimous. We're not going to
hear it until your litigation is finished.
Reports. There are none.
Hurricane emergency. Mr. Neale's going to research that.
Next meeting is July 18th. Anybody know they're not going to
be here?
, MS. KELLER: I'm not going to be here.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Ann's not.
MR. HERRIMAN: I'm not going to be here.
MR. NEALE: A suggestion was made -- and I think it's
appropriate -- that we -- the board consider not having a meeting in
August. There's a variety of reasons, people being gone, people being
on vacation, and that's also the time that the licensing staff is going
through the midst of license renewals, and they're going to be sort of
up to their eyeballs. So I would suggest that the board consider not
having an August meeting.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: So say Michael?
MR. OSSORIO: That's correct, Mr. Neale. We are going
through a midst of renewals in August and September. I wasn't going
to bring it to the board's attention, but we are looking for no board
meeting in August. We'll have one in July.
August and maybe even September we're going to try to back off
due to the budget constraints, that we're going to be very busy, and
we're going to need to focus on renewing licensing versus getting the
board ready with the packets and doing staff paperwork in that matter.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Do budget constraints affect board--
these meetings?
MR. OSSORIO: It does when we have to prepare. Obviously
we're -- you know, if you have three staff members and one of them is
dedicated for two weeks to get the licensing board prepared, receive
documents, and do the necessary day-to-day operation to get to the
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June 20, 2007
licensing board, yes, it is busy.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Wow. Do you guys want to make a
motion not to have a meeting in August.
MR. BLUM: So moved.
MR. JOSLIN: Second.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Both months, August and September.
MR. BLUM: No, let's wait till July to do September depending.
MS. KELLER: September, let's do September.
MR. BLUM: Let's do August for now.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: But he's saying September's going to
be extremely difficult as well.
MR. OSSORIO: Those two months are going to be very busy.
August definitely. September--
MR. JOSLIN: That's hurricane season.
MR. OSSORIO: Huh?
MR. JOSLIN: That's hurricane season.
MR. BLUM: Okay. August and September.
MR. JOSLIN: I don't think we ought to do September yet. Let's
just --
MR. OSSORIO: Yeah. I think August is fine.
MR. JOSLIN: August for sure.
MR. OSSORIO: We'll leave September the way it's at, and I'll
notify the board.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Let's do this.
MS. KELLER: October.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Okay. Come on. She's still typing.
Let's agree to no August and leave September up to him.
MR. BLUM: And July he'll let us know for sure.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: Well, and if we have the business that
needs it, then you'll deliver packets and we're on. Otherwise we get a
call from Megan, no meeting.
MR. OSSORIO: Exactly right.
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June 20, 2007
MR. BLUM: Okay. That works.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: That's great. Motion's done. He said
it, they seconded it. We all voted on it.
MR. NEALE: Okay.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: I have to caution everyone, the
tendency is going to be to talk about this case after the meeting.
Please don't do that because it's probably going to come back to us and
we will be in violation of the sunshine law.
MR. JOSLIN: Considering that this packet is so involved and so
MR. NEALE: I would suggest the packets both --
MR. JOSLIN: Hold on to it.
MR. NEALE: -- parts -- no. Both parts, the county side, and the
respondent's side be given back to county staff so that you don't have
any further chance to look at it.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: We'll help you carry it. Whoa, whoa,
whoa. We're not adjourned here, guys. Let's follow order.
Is there anything else to come before this board? Now, do I have
a motion to adjourn?
MR. JOSLIN: Motion so moved.
CHAIRMAN DICKSON: You should have seen poor Terri
down there. We're adjourned.
*****
There being no further business for the good of the County, the
meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 11 :00 a.m.
Page 69
June 20, 2007
CONTRACTORS' LICENSING BOARD
LES DICKSON, Chairman
These minutes approved by the Board on
presented or as corrected
, as
TRANSCRIPT PREPARED ON BEHALF OF GREGORY
COURT REPORTING SERVICES, INC., BY TERRI LEWIS.
Page 70