By Shannon Behnken, WFLA News Channel 8, Tampa, Fla., January 11, 2024
Zach Winter, who represents JMF Solutions in Alabama, said his company bought a barge and crane in 2022 but never received the title, despite repeated requests. Now that the company is trying to sell the barge, it’s a big problem.
“Most states now require vessels to be registered to conduct business, so if somebody in Florida or Mississippi buys it and they don’t have proper government registration and they’re building docks or whatever it is they’re using it for, they could get shut down immediately and they could probably lose their license,” Winter said.
The barge has an interesting past. It was sold by AVCO Marine Construction and owner Ed Avella, according to the sales document provided by Winter. The name “Mrs. Yolanda” is written across the side. That is the first name of Avella’s wife.
Ed Avella, was the owner of AVCO Marine Construction , which was based in Hudson. He has agreed to give up his contractor licenses in a settlement with state regulators. Customers say they paid down payments, ranging from around $10,000 to $30,000 for boat docks and lifts. In a deposition, the company owner claimed that around 140 customers lost about $1.3 million.
In October 2022, Avella filed to liquidate his company. Avella has denied requests for comment but when asked in a deposition for that case where the money went he said it went toward customers’ work and company expenses.
Winter said he just wants the rest of what was paid for. The barge, he said, is useless without the title. “That’s all I need here,” Winter said. “It won’t cost him anything to give us the title. It should have been part of the deal.”
