Pasco Offering Help To Residents With Unfinished Olympus Pools

PASCO COUNTY, FL — Pasco County is offering homeowners some financial relief and some options after a major pool builder went out of business over the weekend, leaving hundreds of swimming pools unfinished.

Confronted with accusations of fraud and $1.4 million in fines from state regulators for leaving pools unfinished, Olympus Pools closed its doors.

As a result, Pasco County Building Construction Services is offering some financial relief to help Olympus Pools customers whose pool projects are in limbo due to open permits.

The county has launched a webpage to help homeowners navigate the permitting process and answer any questions they have. The county is also waiving all fees associated with Olympus Pools permits through Dec. 31.

“We hope this action will help ease the financial burden on our customers who choose to seek other permitting options,” said Assistant County Administrator Sally Sherman.

Sherman said Olympus Pools customers have three options for open pool permits:

• Oversee the project themselves
• Hire a new, licensed pool contractor
• Cancel their pool permit

To choose an option, residents should fill out this form and e-mail it to: [email protected].

Over the past two years, Olympus Pools has pulled hundreds of permits for pool projects in Pasco County, and most remain unfinished, Sherman said.

Since the pool company shut down, Sherman said Pasco Building Construction Services has been inundated with requests for help.

Olympus Pools owner James Staten issued a statement, saying he was forced by the state to relinquish his license.

"Over the last several months at Olympus Pools, we have endured constant negative media coverage encouraging viewers to file complaints with Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation," Staten said. "As a result, the DBPR has forced us to voluntarily relinquish our license. This means we are no longer allowed to continue working for any of our customers. We have fought hard and would have continued to do so for as long it took to complete every project. Although we are greatly disappointed in the decision, we understand the pressure that has been placed on the department to act. We do not feel the decision is beneficial to our community or our customers, however, it was not our decision to make. If it were up to us, we would continue working for our customers."

Staten maintains that his company was a victim of the coronavirus pandemic when sources and shipments of building materials dried up.

Freedonia, an industry market research firm that provides insights on how major events are impacting different parts of the U.S. and global economies, confirms Staten's claims about a shortage of building materials, especially concrete, a major component of swimming pools.

"For instance, a global sand shortage has challenged many industries," Freedonia said. "We’re not talking about sand for your kid’s sandbox. This is sand for reinforcing beaches and shorelines hammered by storms, and sand used to manufacture concrete and glass (the former used in buildings, roads, and bridges and the latter in buildings, electronics, insulation, packaging and more)."

According to the National Association of Home Builders, the shortage of lumber, concrete and other building materials has increased the average cost of building a new home by $36,000 and has delayed the completion of thousands of homes around the country.

NAHB chairman Chuck Fowke, a custom home builder in Tampa, said aggregate residential construction material costs were up 12 percent year-over-year, and NAHB surveys suggest those costs are rising further.

Both Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Florida Attorney General’s Office say they are now investigating more than 170 complaints against Olympus Pools for unfinished pools.

The Hillsborough County and Polk County sheriff's offices also launched investigations after receiving complaints about the company.

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office said it referred the complaints it received to the Florida Office of Statewide Prosecution because the problem crossed county lines.

Customers who were left with unfinished pools are advised to contact the DBPR to see if they are eligible for relief under the Florida Homeowners’ Construction Recovery Fund.

The fund was set up for homeowners who suffered damages caused by the financial mismanagement of a licensed contractor or construction company with which they had a contract.

The fund's website, however, notes this is a last resort after all civil remedies have been exhausted. Click here to fill out a construction recovery claim form.

To file a complaint with the State Attorney's office, click here.

There are also two Facebook groups for homeowners with unfinished pools: Olympus Pools Support Group and Olympus Pools Victims.