Tampa veteran enraged over alleged fraud tied to dream residence that turned a nightmare infested with termites

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The Huggins family enjoyed the large garden in their newly renovated home – and their Department of Veteran Affairs-backed loan made it affordable.

Jonah Huggins and his wife Patricia also enjoyed the neighborhood church across the street on East Osborne Avenue in Tampa.

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“We just wanted to live near a church. We like to get involved in local programs provided they run outreach programs, ”said Huggins. “We were expecting to come to this house with our new family.”

But four months into the deal, they still haven’t moved in after Huggins claims that almost everyone involved in the deal abandoned their families.

“Our schedule was to get married and go on a honeymoon. And come here and raise our family and everything would be perfect, ”said Huggins.

Far from perfect

One of the T’s to be traversed is a Florida standard. The Wood Destroying Organism (WDO) reports that there were no visible signs of living or dead beetles in this case.

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Joe’s Pest Control conducted the WDO inspection and signed the report, but owner Joe Mendoza was unwilling to speak about it when questioned at his home in Thonotosassa.

“No comment,” said Mendoza.

Jonah Huggins

Shortly after the closure, Huggins noticed visible damage to one of the ceilings and worse.

“After a few days, termites swarmed everywhere,” said Huggins. “A termite inspection has been completed and it said no termites.”

Huggins, an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, summed up his feelings after seeing the crush.

“Anger,” he said. “Absolute anger.”

8 On Your Side later found that Mendoza was not a licensed exterminator, which led to an investigation by the Florida Department of Agriculture. Mendoza was recently fined $ 9,000 by the agency.

“Too little too late,” said Huggins.

According to the report, Laura Keyes, the realtor for property owner SDA Enterprises, LLC, requested the WDO inspection carried out by Mendoza. Keyes didn’t respond to questions about whether she knew Mendoza wasn’t licensed.

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8 On Your Side also received another WDO inspection report drawn up in January by a licensed exterminator who found there was termite damage to the house.

Real estate records show that shortly after signing the January WDO report, a previous buyer stepped back from an agreement to buy the house in East Osborne, but no one involved in that upcoming sale was available for comment on why it failed is.

SDA Enterprises, LLC. Owner Darlene Allen signed a disclosure stating there were no termites in the house, and Huggins signed it in March as well.

Allen told 8 On Your Side that she was unaware of the January WDO report, despite acknowledging that her LLC owned the house at the time of this inspection. Allen also said she did not know there was termite damage in the house.

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Huggins claims the house also had several other expensive, undisclosed issues that cost him more than $ 30,000, but says knowing the truth about the termites was enough for him to get out of business.

“I would never have bought this if we’d known the truth about the termites,” said Huggins. “You can’t tell how much damage the walls have.”

“Somebody lied”

Huggins has now filed a fraudulent secrecy lawsuit against Allen and her LLC, asking the company to buy back the property in what is known as a suspension.

The file also alleges that Keyes and the brokerage firm she works for, Dalton Wade, were negligent.

Dalton Wade did not respond to requests for comment.

Huggins said the entire process drained him emotionally and financially.

“The process let us down,” said Huggins. “Somebody lied.”

As for Mendoza’s qualifications, VA spokesman Joe Williams said the agency expects the lenders they work with to review issues like proper licensing.

“When a WDO is required, VA requires pest control operators to meet state requirements,” Williams said.

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It is not known if anyone has checked Mendoza’s background, but the Florida Department of Agriculture shows no available records for Mendoza and he has since been cited for not having a pest control license. It took about nine seconds to traverse Mendoza through the state databases.

According to state records, Mendoza was charged with a second degree misdemeanor in 2018 for unlawful performance or advertising for pest control services. The minutes show that the decision was withheld in this case.