Where’s Beattie? Former customers speak out; connect through group chat

Dozens have reached out to WINK News before and after the recent raid of the Beattie Development office in downtown Cape Coral.

• RELATED: Beattie Development office raided; witnesses say someone was in handcuffs

Homeowners say Beattie Development was building their homes. On Thursday, WINK News got an inside look at several of the unfinished homes that homeowners accuse Beattie left.

WINK News Reporter Olivia Jean spoke to several homeowners and saw several homes, including Susan and David Bucci.

• RELATED: Beattie Development subcontractors speak out

They say their home is missing pavement, doors, lights, and more. No refrigerator, stove or dishwasher either. The Buccis say their home was supposed to be done months ago.

They signed a contract with Beattie Development in May 2022. “I pretty much wiped out most of my 401k that I’ve been working on for 30. A lot of that’s gone, unfortunately, financially, it’s just, again, it’s just been a huge burden,” David Bucci said.

The Buccis aren’t alone. Stuart Owen said they feel the same pain.

“I went down the office, the door was locked, and there was a sign of the door, and it called for an appointment. Called for an appointment, no one answered. No one called me back,” Owen said.

Owen decided to move forward. He hired another contractor and said he should be moving into his home in weeks.

“I almost got this house finished, and they [Beattie Development] got almost nothing done in the last six months,” Owen said.

Another couple from Northern California, Michael and Courtney Porter, spoke about what was supposed to be their “dream house” but said it turned into a three year old nightmare.

The Porter’s say they are now out $300,000 after signing a contract with Beattie Development in May 2021.

They said so much of the home is still unfinished and say it will cost another 260 thousand dollars to finish it. They offered their advice to anyone considering or currently working with Paul Beattie.

“I would tell them to run. And because Paul, has a way with words, and he makes you he’s convincing he’s like a you know, he’s like a salesperson, and he will make you feel like, you know you’re his priority. And I can assure everybody, after three plus years, he’s no one’s his priority except his bank account,” Courtney Porter said.

All of the homes WINK News saw Thursday were unfinished, both on the inside and outside.

Since the raid, the next question many are asking is “Where is Paul Beattie?”

WINK News Anchor Chris Cifatte found Beattie’s company site still active, the same company that was raided Wednesday.

As of Thursday, the Cape Coral Police are not commenting on the investigation.

WINK News called a number a tipster sent, saying it was Paul Beattie’s personal number. WINK left a message. WINK News also called his office number. A message said the number was no longer in service.

WINK News sent emails to Paul Beattie and his assistant but has not heard back.

Since our story first aired, several dozen have said Beattie owes them work or money.

Several former customers said they were happy to see the raid at Beattie’s office.

“It was such a relief, you know, because we had heard stories that it was going to take months or even years for anything to happen, and to see that happen like that. It was just such a central relief,” Owen said.

“It’s been terrible. I wish this on my worst enemy,” David Bucci said.

Many explained the embarrassment they felt when their homes weren’t finished.

“You look at people like, how could you be so stupid to fall for this? You know, don’t you know better than to give a guy your money when he’s not doing stuff, and it just puts you with all these other people in the same spot? And you’re going, well, that’s not me being stupid,” Owen said.

“We found each other just by going to the Cape Coral Residence groups that each city has. And then we would start DMing (direct messaging) each other and say, hey, who was your builder? And once we kind of started all having the same builder, we created a group,” Courtney Porter said.

In the group chat, they talk all about their experiences, share attorneys, and pictures and videos; like when Beattie’s office was raided.

“We talk all day long, and we share information to help each other finish homes,” Courtney Porter said.

“We’re bonded, whether, you know, in a horrible way, but everyone’s like trying to help each other, and I love that about it,” Mary Ann Fitzgerald said.

“It’s just been very comforting,” Owen said.

“Everybody’s been awesome. But, yeah, it’s been great. It’s, you know, hey, there’s strength in numbers, right?” David Bucci said.

What about recovery? One Tampa construction attorney’s website says if you, a homeowner, have suffered financial loss because of a contractor’s negligence, you may be eligible for a claim.

You can file a complaint through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

WINK News will investigate and provide updates whenever they become available.