An Indianapolis pool contractor is facing a growing list of lawsuits accusing the business of taking money to build swimming pools and leaving them high and dry.
Jordan VanWye, owner of Turnkey Design and Build LLC, doing business as Premier Pools and Spas, has been in a world of legal trouble, with at least nine lawsuits against him for incomplete, negligent, and dangerous construction work.
The Ackermann family hired VanWye when their old pool started leaking. Wynter Ackermann said she saw an ad on Facebook for Premier Pools and Spas, a national pool building franchise, and decided to hire VanWye in March 2023, whose company is listed as a Premier Pool and Spa location.
The Ackermanns filed their lawsuit in April and accuse VanWye of taking a total of $112,500 in deposits for work that was never initiated or completed.
The family also lists the franchise Premier Pools and Spas as a defendant. Because of the numerous complaints against VanWye, the lawsuit alleges that Premier knew or should have known that VanWye was using Premier’s trademark and infrastructure to obtain work he had no intention of completing, and the Ackermanns accuse the franchisor of deceptive acts.
Francis Stevens paid VanWye more than $130,000 for work that was not completed and not properly permitted and inspected. As such, his lawsuit alleges, the work that had been completed must now be removed and redone to comply with local laws.
Stevens also accuses Premier Pools and Spas, as VanWye’s franchisor, of authorizing VanWye to enter into contracts and using its reputation to perpetrate his fraudulent business.
Julie Elsbury has nearly identical claims against VanWye and Premier, to the tune of more than $40,000.
The Long Family paid more than $60,000 for what they say is defective work: improperly buried gas lines, improper electrical work, and a leaking pool, among other complaints.
The Samson family paid for a pool that is cracked and causes electrical shocks. Their pool failed its inspection for bonding and grounding. They say they can’t use their pool for fear of electrocution.
The list goes on. In court documents, VanWye denies most allegations against him and his company. In an email to a local news channel inquiring about the lawsuits, VanWye said, 'This company was ruined by subcontractors, and insurance is also handling the issues at hand. Please direct any communication to my attorney.”
Premier Franchise Management, meanwhile, denies that it was a party to the contracts.
