Another lien ‘not disclosed’ to buyers in Tampa home construction dispute
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) —A lien filed by a Tampa contractor after payments to him from the developer stopped was not disclosed to buyers who agreed to purchase one of the properties tangled in the dispute.
The $1 million home on North Woodrow in Tampa is one of seven built or started by contractor Todd Britton-Harr. He claims he pulled out of the unfinished projects after developer M.A.X Investment Properties stopped paying him.
Documents reviewed by 8 On Your Side indicate Britton-Harr is owed more than $136,000 for construction costs and legal fees connected to the North Woodrow home. At one point, he was owed more than $630,000, but the developer paid $345,000 of that debt through a court settlement.
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The rest is the focus of a civil lawsuit that includes two investors who claim they are also owed money from M.A.X.
Company owner Cliff Parchmon has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Jackie de la Rosa, the buyers’ agent in the North Woodrow sale, said the agreement was executed in late February but her clients did know about the lien until they learned about it “on the news.”
“The lien was not disclosed to myself or the buyers,” de la Rosa said. “They had [8 On Your Side] on that morning and were shocked to see their new home on the TV.”
The buyers of a home on North Highland Avenue that was built by Britton-Harr were shocked after their deal closed last year.
They bought it for $500,000 without knowing there was a nearly $100,000 lien on it.
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Britton-Harr took his claim that alleged fraud was involved to Tampa police investigators and was interviewed by a detective. A spokesperson for the department has not yet commented on the case.
“When signed the settlement agreement, [Parchmon] acknowledges right here in the paperwork that he knew there was a lien on it,” Britton-Harr said. “So, there’s no possible way that he didn’t know there was a lien on it.”
The title company for the North Highland and North Woodrow properties is Profusion Title.
8 On Your Side left messages for their owner and went to the office, but so far no one has responded to our questions about the liens.
Britton-Harr said normally title companies send out a contractor’s affidavit to verify in writing that all the bills are paid before allowing a deal to close.
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“There’s a standard form that you get notarized at the bank and send it off. It never happened in this case,” Britton-Harr said. “The title company never contacted me for a contractor’s affidavit.”
de la Rosa said she has reached out to the listing agent and Profusion Title to clear up the situation. She said according to the title company, “the owners are fully aware of the lien and are diligently working with their attorney to resolve the issue.”
“Our biggest concern here is that this group closed on a property last year with an almost $90,000 lien against it,” de la Rosa said. “We want to ensure that our buyers are purchasing this home with a clear title, which is what you trust a title company to do.”
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