Escambia County panel revokes M and H Construction license after owner fails to satisfy judgment

The Escambia County Contractor Competency Board voted to revoke the local contractor license of M and H Construction Services LLC on Tuesday after the board determined the company failed to comply with a prior final order and an outstanding civil judgment.

The board’s action followed a multihour disciplinary hearing in which the complainant, Ling Yang Lee, described unpaid bills and said she had lost her restaurant and other assets after the contractor did not complete work or pay required restitution. "I lose my restaurant. I lose my wife. I lose my case," Lee said during public remarks to the board.

Why it matters: The board said the case involved both the county’s consumer-protection mandate and license-holder discipline. Members said the scale of unpaid restitution and repeated noncompliance with a prior settlement and final order created a public-safety and consumer-protection concern that required license revocation rather than a lesser penalty.

What the board heard and decided

Ryan Hatler, attorney for the licensee M and H Construction, asked the board to continue the matter for 30 days so the parties could finish negotiating a confidential settlement. Hatler told the board he had discussed a proposal with counsel for the complainant the day before the hearing and said additional time might produce an agreement that would repay the complainant.

The complainant, Ling Yang Lee, doing business as Let’s Meet Korean Barbecue LLC, told the board she had pursued the matter in court and said a judgment remained owing. She described the case as longstanding and urged the board to act. Lee read the court judgment amount cited in public records as roughly $121,000 and told the board she had received no payments since the judgment.

Board staff reported that M and H Construction’s permitting privileges had been suspended in April 2024 in a related matter and that the county had records showing attempts to pull permits while those privileges were suspended. Staff also noted there remained open permit records linked to the license.

After extended discussion the board voted to revoke the contractor license for a multi‑year period. The motion to revoke carried on a counted show of hands and the chair declared the motion carried.

Votes at a glance

- Revocation: Motion to revoke the license of M and H Construction Services LLC — outcome: approved (motion carried after a show of hands; board chair recorded the motion as carried). The board directed staff to process revocation paperwork and to notify affected property owners with open permits so those jobs can be addressed administratively.

Other formal actions taken at the same meeting

- Reinstatement: The board approved the reinstatement of the delinquent license of contractor Timothy Sanders so he could address three open properties and remedy associated permit issues. Staff confirmed Sanders had paid the $150 appearance fee; the board’s approval was narrowly tailored to allow him to close out and resolve outstanding permits and compliance items and required follow-up with board staff.

- Qualification approved: The board approved Robert Bose’s application to qualify an additional entity, Storm Force Shutter Solutions LLC, under his existing license.

- Complaint resolved / no further action: The board voted to take no further action in the complaint against contractor Mark P. Nunez after staff provided proof that the homeowner had been reimbursed in full.

- Applications that did not advance: An application for licensing reciprocity from Steven Andrews (roofing) did not receive a motion and therefore was not approved (the application "died" for lack of motion). An earlier applicant, Joshua Campbell, later withdrew his application.

What the decision means and next steps

Board staff said revocation will be processed administratively and county permitting staff will notify property owners with any permits associated with the revoked license; those permits will be administratively voided or reassigned to other licensed contractors per county procedures. The board noted that revocation is intended to protect consumers and the public and that a revoked license removes a contractor’s ability to hold local contracting privileges for the period specified in the board’s order.

Ryan Hatler said he would return if the parties could not finalize a settlement in the next weeks; the board moved forward with the discipline. Lee said he did not want further delay and urged the board to act.

Ending note

The hearing showed the board balancing competing objectives: enabling a pathway for restitution while protecting the public from contractors the board finds have repeatedly failed to comply with orders and court judgments. Board staff will publish the disciplinary order and follow up with property owners whose permits were tied to the revoked license.