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Contractors tell Winter Springs commission they were not paid for Clubhouse Deli work; owner disputes claims
Summary
Multiple tradespeople testified that they completed work at the Clubhouse Deli site and remain unpaid, citing invoices and alleged fraudulent payment; the property owner denied the claims and said some payments were made. Commissioners asked for written documentation so staff can follow up.
Several local contractors told the Winter Springs City Commission on Oct. 13 that they completed renovation and mechanical work at the Clubhouse Deli site and had not received payment, asking the city to investigate or provide policy options to protect small businesses.
At least three contractors—Jeff Cuddy, Glattis Sherpa and James Miller—said they performed work (welding, mechanical and plumbing/construction) and submitted invoices totaling thousands of dollars that remain unpaid. One contractor, Jeff Cuddy, said he submitted invoices totaling $8,500 on July 3 and had not received payment; another, Glattis Sherpa, said he received a fraudulent check and had filed criminal charges under state statute 825.05.
Property representatives and an on-site owner denied the allegations. Robin Nean, who identified himself in public comment as a Winter Springs resident and builder, said he paid at least one contractor $7,000, disputed the timeline and questioned some contractors’ compliance with permit timestamps and inspection results. The owner asked the commission to avoid conflating disputes with city enforcement beyond the city’s authority to collect private debts.
City staff and the mayor advised contractors to submit written documentation and contact information so the city can include the materials in the public record; the commission said staff would follow up on procedural and permitting questions but that private-payment disputes commonly require civil remedies or criminal investigation where fraud is alleged. For the contractor who reported a fraudulent check, law-enforcement referral was already under way, per the speaker.
No formal city enforcement action or motion was taken during the meeting on these claims. Commissioners repeatedly urged both sides to provide documentation to staff so the city can coordinate referrals to appropriate civil-collection or criminal-authority channels if warranted.
Next steps: Contractors were instructed to provide written documentation (invoices, contracts, inspection records) to staff to be added to the record and to inform the police department or the state’s attorney if criminal activity is suspected.
