Florida Builder loses license in subdivision debacle

April 25, 2002

oll=orl%2Dnews%2Dheadlines

Builder loses license in subdivision debacle

By April Hunt | Sentinel Staff Writer

Posted April 25, 2002

KISSIMMEE -- For the second time in two weeks, the Osceola County Commission

has revoked a builder's license to do work in the county.

Commissioners also fined Ussery $5,000 and recommended that Florida

strip Ussery of his contractor's license statewide. His former business

partner, Klein, met the same punishment two weeks ago for shoddy

work and unfulfilled promises at a gated residential development called

Spring Lake Village off Boggy Creek Road near the Orange-Osceola county

line.

About half of the community's 71 homeowners filed complaints with Osceola

County, alleging problems including late work, missing load-bearing walls in

some models, cracked foundations, mold seeping into living rooms and water

flooding porches and garages.

During testimony in a three-plus hour hearing Tuesday night, Ussery said he

parted ways with Klein in 2001 and was not the leader of their joint firm,

Goldcrest Construction Co. Ussery was president of Orlando-based Goldcrest,

while Klein was the vice president who handled financial matters.

County Commissioner Chuck Dunnick said Ussery's decision to leave when he

became suspicious of business practices at the firm wasn't enough. Ussery,

he said, should have made his worries known to the county.

" He made the decision to leave town instead of protecting those people and

the integrity of his license, " said Dunnick, who added that the county must

now examine Osceola's role in how some of the homes got county approval with

such poor workmanship.

April Hunt can be reached at ahunt@... or 407-931-5940.

Recommended Posts