Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & McQuaid, P.A. announces a significant 3.1 million dollar verdict achieved by Howard P. Ross, ESQ., B.C.S. this week against the City of St. Petersburg. This case involved development rights to an important commercial property in Midtown St. Petersburg that TLM Investment Group I, LLC had leased. The commercial property was earmarked for the establishment of businesses that could have provided jobs and important services to underserved citizens of St. Petersburg. After TLM started the “initial construction”, the City Administration decided that that construction was not sufficient and terminated the Lease and commenced legal proceedings to remove TLM from the commercial property. This is after the TLM had invested significant sums of time and money toward the redevelopment of the parcel. TLM brought a countersuit against the City of St. Petersburg alleging unfair treatment and wrongful termination of a lease. In an initial ruling in April 2020, the judge agreed with TLM that “initial construction” did commence on time and the case proceeded to determine the damages suffered by TLM by the City Administration’s actions.
In a ruling this week, Pinellas County Circuit Judge Lorraine Kelly, Acting in Circuit Capacity, ordered the City of St. Petersburg to pay TLM Investment Group I, LLC $3,095,920 plus interest in damages stemming from the termination of the commercial lease agreement. This amount reflected the lost profits determined by the expert witnesses and the Court that had been suffered because the lease had been terminated and TLM not allowed to complete the development.
“We were proud to be part of this great win for small African-American businesses in St. Petersburg. It is a shame that the City Administration chose to stop this project and prevent TLM from completing the project as TLM wanted to do,” commented Howard P. Ross, ESQ., B.C.S.
Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & McQuaid, P.A. has Established Themselves as the Top Litigation Attorneys in Florida
