Homebuilder Stiffs Customer, Then Files Lien & Starts Foreclosing On Lot, Says Property Owner

In Palm Coast, Florida, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports:

• Brenda Shakes said she has, at times, felt lucky to only be out $40,000 to two Palm Coast builders facing charges of grand theft and organized fraud involving other homebuyers. She fired Herbert Heron and Noel Richardson, owners of Canterbury Estate Homes, because she said the builders weren't doing any work on her home and had not disclosed that they owned the title company that closed the loan. But now, they're after her land, Shakes said.

• "Instead of them apologizing and trying to make things right by us, they still want to continue to put us through hell, emotionally and financially," Shakes said in an e-mail. She said she was shocked when the men filed a lien against her land and started the foreclosure process, citing breach of contract.

• Heron, 58, and Richardson, 54, were arrested in September and accused of bilking customers and subcontractors out of more than $400,000, investigators said. They were also named in multiple related civil lawsuits that are still pending. Heron and Richardson were released from jail Oct. 4 after each posted $100,000 bail.

For more, see Woman says Palm Coast builders put her 'through hell'.

Go here for earlier posts on criminally implicated homebuilder Canterbury Estates Homes.

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Florida Builder Accused Of Pocketing Loan Proceeds & Stiffing Subs; Homebuyers Pay Twice For Same Work

The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports:

• "Several Palm Coast residents say they hired Canterbury Estates Homes Inc. to create their dream homes, many of them on Lewiston Court in Palm Coast. But the company has left them scrambling to pay the people doing the work. At least a half dozen people who contracted homes from Canterbury said they filed complaints against the company's owners with the Flagler County Sheriff's Office. At least two contractors said they have filed complaints with the State Attorney's Office against Canterbury."

• "Stephen Rende, owner of Rende roofing, a longtime Palm Coast business, said this is the first time his company has ever had to file criminal complaints against a builder. Homebuyers like Anthony Rappa say Canterbury's owners, Herbert Heron and Noel Richardson, didn't pay the subcontractors who worked on their homes. Rappa and several others say Heron and Richardson took money from them either directly or from their bank-drafted construction loans, which should have been used to pay subcontractors."

One Palm Coast resident said he has spent 80 to 90 hours each week for the last few months finishing the construction of his new home that was left unfinished by the builder. For more, see Flagler builder investigated over liens, bad checks.

Go here for earlier posts on criminally implicated homebuilder Canterbury Estates Homes.

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Florida Builders Face Criminal Charges Of Misapplication Of Construction Funds, Grand Theft, Issuing Rubber Checks

According to a recent story in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, the Flagler County, Florida Sheriff's Office has been busy investigating and charging local home builders for taking customers' money and either not performing the work contracted for, or having the work done by a subcontractor, and then not paying the sub for the work. According to the story:

• Flagler County sheriff's Detective John Gaspar, who led two of the last three Flagler County building company investigations that resulted in arrests, said it appears to be a "trend" that local contractors and builders are involved in mismanaging their customers' money.

• In August, investigators arrested Gregory Bleyl, owner of Osprey Custom Homes Inc., after they say he bilked 18 Russian and Ukranian immigrants out of more than $700,000. He was charged with grand theft and misapplication of construction funds and remains in the Flagler County jail.

• And last week, authorities arrested Joseph Fasino, owner of Sandcastle Homes for operating a building scam that also involved liens on customers' homes, bad checks, and misapplication of construction funds, investigators said. Fasino is being held at the St. Johns County Jail on $287,500 bail.

In the most recent case, Herbert Heron and Noel Richardson, owners of Canterbury Estate Homes Inc. and Oxford Title Company Inc. (the company that handled Canterbury's real estate closings), were charged with grand theft, organized fraud, misapplication of construction funds and issuing worthless checks, for, among other things, allegedly taking over $400,000 from more than half a dozen people for work they promised, but never performed. For more, see Home builders charged with multiple felonies (no longer available online).

For related stories on:

• Gregory Bleyl and Osprey Custom Homes Inc., see Poor economy boosts Flagler crime (no longer available online).
• Joseph Fasino and Sandcastle Homes, see Another Flagler builder charged with fraud (no longer available online).

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Florida Builders Charged With Taking Customers & Subcontractors For $400,000+

The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports:

• The owners of another Flagler County home building company were booked into jail on multiple first-degree felony charges Tuesday. Herbert Heron and Noel Richardson, owners of Canterbury Estate Homes Inc. and Oxford Title Company Inc. (the company that handled Canterbury's real estate closings), were charged with grand theft, organized fraud, misapplication of construction funds and issuing worthless checks, investigators say. The men landed in jail after more than half a dozen people came forward saying the men took their money, more than $400,000 in total, but didn't provide the home building services they promised.

In addition to not getting what they paid for, in some cases, the customers had to pay twice for work that had been done. Reason: the builders stiffed the subcontractors for work the subs had performed, which resulted in the subs placing liens on customers' homes. The customers had to pay off the liens or risk foreclosure. For more, see Home builders charged with multiple felonies.

Go here for earlier posts on criminally implicated homebuilder Canterbury Estates Homes.

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Flagler County Prosecutors Target Local Builders In Criminal Cases For Allegedly Screwing Over Homeowners

In Flagler County, Florida, the Daytona Beach News Journal provides a few blurbs on four area builders/contractors who are being criminally prosecuted for allegedly screwing over homeowners:

• Timothy John Hassler, owner of Ocean Shore Construction, was found guilty of fraud Sept. 19. Prosecutors said he faces up to five years in prison for $80,000 worth of unfinished work and fraud related to the construction of a home in Flagler County.

• Hassler filed false paperwork with Flagler County homeowner Joan Foley's bank showing that contractors were paid for work on her home when they were not, prosecutors said. Foley realized there was a problem long before construction on her home was complete, learning there wasn't enough money left on her construction loan to finish her house, let alone pay all of the outstanding liens lodged by subcontractors. Prosecutor Steven Gosney said he also plans to file a second case against Hassler for grand theft over $100,000 in an unrelated case.

• The case is one of several like it currently moving through the county's court system. Herbert Heron and Noel Richardson, owners of Canterbury Estates Homes Inc. and Oxford Title Company Inc., are facing charges of grand theft, organized fraud and misapplication of construction funds.

• Gregory Bleyl, owner of Osprey Custom Homes, faces charges of forgery and grand theft.

• And Joseph Fasino, owner of Sandcastle Homes, faces charges of organized fraud and misapplication of construction funds.

Source: Builder's fraud case one of many in county system.

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