LAKE PLACID, FLa. — A disabled veteran bought solar panels to reduce energy costs, but he could lose his home after learning that the financing he thought he was approved for fell through.
The I-Team is digging into how the homeowner applied for a loan that wasn’t even available in his county and who stands to benefit.
“It was perfect for us. We got two extra bedrooms,” disabled veteran Esteban Ortiz said, showing us his three-bedroom, two-bath home.
Ortiz moved from Missouri to a quiet golf course community in Lake Placid, FL, after his doctor told him the climate would be better for his degenerative lung disease.
“When we decided to move down here, we were like, this is gonna be our forever home. We're not gonna pack up and leave again because this is where we want to be,” Ortiz said.
But Ortiz may have to pack up and move out because of a solar power system he purchased that he hoped would improve his home.
“There's a couple on this side of the house, but most of them are all right up there,” Ortiz said, pointing to a group of solar panels on the front of his roof.
Homeowner applied for financing through PACE program
Volt Solar Solutions, LLC sold and installed the panels in 2023. Ortiz’s purchase agreement shows they cost $41,500. Ortiz said he hoped to save big bucks on his power bill by buying solar panels with no money down through the Florida PACE program.
PACE stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy.
He told us he was not going to buy the panels without being 100 percent financed.
“We didn’t have... still don’t have... $40,000 or $50,000 to pay for the system,” Ortiz said.
According to his application, the loan would be repaid through an annual assessment.
“Your payments will be added to your property tax bill for thirty years,” the document said.
It was a program approved by Florida legislators in which private lenders make loans for home improvement projects, which are paid back through assessments on annual property tax bills.
Since 2015, Florida’s PACE funding agency has recorded $915 million in assessments on more than 29,000 parcels.
However, PACE loans are not offered in 42 out of Florida's 67 counties.
Ortiz thought he was approved when workers showed up the next month and started putting panels on his home. Volt installed the equipment in September of 2023, and Ortiz said he was excited to start saving.
Lien leads to foreclosure notice
Ortiz’s financing never actually came through. In fact, the PACE website shows, and the Highlands County Tax Collector confirms, that Highlands County, where Ortiz lives, only allows commercial PACE loans, not residential loans.
Even without financing, Volt Solar Solutions put up the solar system and filed a mechanic’s lien against Ortiz’s home.
Months after the system was installed, Ortiz received notice of a foreclosure lawsuit seeking immediate payment for the solar panels.
We learned about the lawsuit from private investigator Kim Caliendo, who came across it while doing research for a client, and we contacted Ortiz.
“If he doesn’t pay off that entire lien, that home will get auctioned off on the courthouse steps,” said attorney Andy Lyons
Lyons is not involved in this case but frequently defends homeowners against foreclosures.
Ortiz said when he was served with the lawsuit, he should have taken immediate action.
“I should have gotten an attorney, but not everyone has $3,000 or $4,000 on hand to pay for an attorney,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz said he spoke with attorney Jake Fallucca about the lawsuit after he was put on notice.
Attorney who prepared the lien for Volt later signed an agreement to buy it through another company
According to state records, Fallucca is the registered agent for Volt Solar Solutions, LLC. Court records show he’s also served as the company’s attorney in multiple cases.
Otiz said he tried to negotiate with Fallucca but couldn’t reach a deal. The foreclosure lawsuit was filed by a company called Lien Liquidators, Inc. State records show Fallucca is the President of Lien Liquidators.
“There's a lot of intertwined things that just don’t sit right. Like red flags,” Ortiz said.
Records show Fallucca prepared the mechanic’s lien that Volt Solar Solutions filed on Ortiz's home. That lien was later assigned to Lien Liquidators, Fallucca’s company, for $5,000.
Lyons said that means Volt Solar Solutions, LLC will not likely be able to get back the full amount it spent purchasing and installing solar equipment.
“That means that contractor is never gonna see any more money than that $5,000. Not $40,000, nothing. They sold it for $5,000,” Lyons said.
We talked to Fallucca twice on the phone. He declined to do an on-camera or Zoom interview.
Attorney blames Florida PACE
In our brief conversation, he blamed PACE Home Run financing for failing to make loans he said they had committed to make and he said that essentially put Volt Solar Solutions out of business.
A Florida PACE spokesperson told us in an emailed statement, “Contractors in this position are responsible for rescheduling and/or discontinuing work until other arrangements are made with the property owner for payment, as appropriate.”
PACE blames tax collectors in counties where PACE loans are not recognized for refusing to allow assessments. The controversy has resulted in lawsuits between multiple counties and Florida PACE.
The I-Team has learned Lien Liquidators has filed lawsuits against other Volt Solar Solutions, LLC customers in Seminole and Hendry Counties. In those cases, the lawsuits were resolved before the homes were auctioned.
Volt Solar Solutions has an “F” Better Business Bureau rating. It’s still listed as an active corporation, but neighbors said they moved out of their Tampa facility in mid-January.
Volt Solar’s phones are disconnected, their website was taken down, and calls and texts we made to Volt employees have gone unanswered.
Ortiz’s home was scheduled to be sold in January.
“I got a notice that my house was going to be for sale on the courthouse steps on the 21st of this month,” Ortiz said.
Fallucca posted about it on Facebook. His post said, “Hey everyone, feel free to c’mon down and bid on this property Jan. 21, 2025! In-person auction in Highlands!”
Ortiz and his wife were forced to file for bankruptcy to stall the sale, but that’s not a permanent solution.
“Now you’ve got to ruin someone’s life. And that’s what it is. My life really hasn’t been the same since all this started physically, mentally, emotionally,” Ortiz said.
Florida PACE Funding Agency’s complete statement:
The Florida PACE Funding Agency provides accessible financing solutions for qualifying hurricane hardening and energy efficiency improvements to property owners across Florida. As an interlocal Entity established under Florida law, Florida PACE oversees program administrators who work with homeowners to finance their projects through long-term, fixed-rate assessments added to their property tax bills. In 2024, FPFA received more than 17,000 leads statewide, reflecting the continued demand for its financing solutions. Recent survey data further underscores the program’s positive impact, with 86% of respondents rating their experience with a 4 or 5.
In 2022, the court system affirmed the Agency's authority to operate statewide without requiring approval from individual counties or cities, making this financing mechanism more widely available. The program has played a critical role in helping homeowners protect their properties and manage rising insurance costs.
Several tax collectors across the state have sought to challenge the longstanding law that requires them to collect local government assessments, a law that has been in place since the 1980s and reaffirmed by the courts in 1998. Rather than pursuing legislative changes, some tax collectors have opted not to fulfill their statutory responsibilities, including the collection of non-ad valorem assessments.
Regarding Highlands County, the local Tax Collector declined to collect valid home-saving assessments as required by statute. Consequently, funding providers who purchase the Agency's bonds, which enable the program to function and allow contractors to be paid, could not continue financing projects in the county. Contractors working with impacted homeowners were informed promptly and encouraged to assist customers in exploring alternative financing options. Contractors in this position are responsible for rescheduling and/or discontinuing work until other arrangements are made with the property owner for payment, as appropriate.
The Agency sympathizes with any homeowners who may face difficulties due to the actions of local officials that impact their ability to finance necessary property improvements. Additionally, the Agency acknowledges the frustration homeowners may experience if contractors fail to communicate financing changes effectively. When such issues are identified, the Agency takes appropriate action, including discontinuing relationships with non-compliant contractors. To note, any misrepresentation of financing eligibility must be addressed directly with the contractor under the oversight of relevant regulatory bodies. Florida PACE does not regulate licensed trade professionals; their regulation and enforcement fall under the jurisdiction of city or county authorities or the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).
We can confirm that Volt Solar Solutions, LLC was removed as an approved contractor on January 23, 2024, but we are unable to share any additional information on the matter.
Resources for homeowners considering a PACE loan:
Pasco County allows PACE financing, but only after the buyer, the contractor, and the lender have signed disclosure forms outlining all the terms of the PACE loans.
Tax Collector Mike Fasano has compiled important information for consumers to consider before signing up for a PACE loan.