A dispute over paid parking in Bradenton Beach has one management company fighting mad.
Following termination of its contract to manage a paid lot at the corner of Gulf Drive and Bridge Street, the Easy Parking Group sued Beach to Bay, alleging breach of contract. Beach to Bay owns the lot and Easy Parking Group is seeking damages up to $100,000 in the circuit court.
Beach to Bay is owned by developer Shawn Kaleta, who in 2023 received city approval for a planned urban development that will include a 103-room resort on the lot and others nearby.
In the meantime, the PUD allows using the lot for parking. So Beach to Bay on Jan. 12 entered a management contract with Easy Parking Group, owned by Joshua LaRose.
The contract involved managing and operating paid parking for a 40% share of net revenue to Easy Parking Group, after repayment of improvements and startup costs and the subtraction of basic operating expenses from gross revenues.
The contract was a one-year agreement, with an option for termination without cause after the first six months on a 30-day written notice.
According to court records, LaRose on June 11 received a notice from Sam Negrin, manager at Beach to Bay LLC, terminating the contract as of July 12.
Kaleta’s attorney, Louis Najmy of Najmy Thompson PL of Bradenton, was served notice July 25 of the breach of contract suit and is expected to respond by Aug. 14.
Following up on a request to Kaleta for comment, Negrin responded with a text message to The Islander July 31, providing a Beach to Bay statement on the suit: “Easy Parking Group owes Beach to Bay money. We are surprised they sued in response to our letter seeking payment. We look forward to resolving the issues and recovering the funds owed to us.”
The termination letter to LaRose demanded meter equipment, signage and other items be removed by July 26, or the equipment would become Beach to Bay’s property.
However, the lawsuit asserts, shortly after issuing the termination notice, Beach to Bay removed Easy Parking Group signs, replacing them with new signs directing hourly parking payments to Beach to Bay. Also, new parking meters were installed and EPG’s meters were disabled.
The complaint argues the agreement prohibited Beach to Bay from ending services before July 12 and from removing EPG’s equipment and signage.
Court records also indicate that Kaleta does not fully own all the properties that comprise the lot, which consists of four separate parcels on the Manatee County Property Appraisers website: 105 Bridge St., Apt. 1; 101 Bridge St., 219 Gulf Drive S., and 106 Third St. S.
For three of the properties Kaleta is listed as the registered agent but, the fourth property, 219 Gulf Drive S., is owned by AMI Plaza LLC and William Saba is listed as the registered agent.
LaRose’s lawsuit alleges Kaleta misrepresented his ownership and control, stating that after the contract was initiated, Kaleta removed structures from three properties adjacent to 219 Gulf Drive S. and requested that EPG extend services to the newly cleared lots.
The lawsuit also argues that Easy Parking Group handled start-up activities and incurred initial costs that benefitted Beach to Bay and Kaleta and it is unfair for Beach to Bay and Kaleta to keep the benefits without compensating EPG.
The Islander reached out to LaRose for comment July 31 by text but, as of press time Aug. 5, there was no reply.