TAMPA BAY — According to court documents filed over the last two days, James Staten and his wife objected to 50 customer claims for unfinished work totaling more than a million dollars.
Staten’s attorney said Staten should not be held liable for customer losses since he was not the cause of damages and that the claims belong to Olympus pools. In the reorganization plan filed Monday, his attorney also disputed the state’s $1.4 million penalty against Staten. It applies if Staten were to seek another contractor’s license.
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I-team investigator Jackie Callaway who first broke Olympus pools troubles involving hundreds of unfinished pools last April spoke to Staten’s attorney Joel Aresty. Aresty says state regulators have no claim in a personal bankruptcy case.
As far as consumer claims are concerned, Aresty says the payout would only amount to three cents on the dollar based on Staten's assets.
The judge is expected to respond to the filings in the next hearing scheduled for February.
