Page 8 Service Industry News February 1, 2026
A husband-and-wife team that owned a small pool construction company in Mount Dora, Florida — roughly 30 miles north of Orlando — has been arrested and charged with fraud for allegedly taking nearly $200,000 in customer deposits for swimming pools that were never built.
Troy Daniel Teems, 52, and Leigh Ann Teems, 52, were arrested in early December on warrants issued by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. The couple operated Staycation Pools & Service LLC, a pool construction business that marketed custom swimming pools to homeowners in The Villages and surrounding Central Florida communities.
According to arrest affidavits, the Teems accepted down payments from at least seven customers between 2022 and 2023, then failed to perform any construction work. Investigators allege that after deposits were collected, communication with customers stopped entirely.
The reported deposits ranged from approximately $21,900 to nearly $44,000 per customer, including:
• A homeowner who paid $23,590 in November 2022, including a change order, but never saw work begin.
• A second customer who submitted a $43,839 deposit in February 2023, with no subsequent construction activity.
• Additional customers throughout 2023 who reported similar experiences — payment accepted, no permits pulled, no work started, and repeated unanswered calls and messages.
In total, investigators estimate the couple collected nearly $200,000 for projects that were never initiated.
Once the complaints were consolidated, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office charged the Teems with multiple counts of fraud, alleging they accepted customer funds without intent to fulfill the contracts. Both were booked into the Sumter County Detention Center and later released after posting $10,000 bond each.
In late December, attorneys for the Teems filed a motion to dismiss the charges, arguing the matter represents a series of failed business transactions rather than criminal fraud. Their attorney, Anthony Sabatini, a Lake County commissioner and former state legislator, has publicly stated the case should be handled in civil court. Both Troy and Leigh Ann Teems have pleaded not guilty, and the case remains pending in Sumter County Court.
While the Teems’ company operated under the exact same “Staycation” pool brand name as another Florida contractor previously involved in a high-profile fraud case, authorities say there is no known business or personal connection between the two matters.
(In 2024, Jordan Hidalgo, owner of Staycation Pools & Spas, along with Modern Pools and West Bay Custom Pools, reached a settlement with the Florida Attorney General’s office after being accused of taking nearly $2 million from customers statewide for pool projects that were left unfinished or improperly built. That case resulted in a suspended judgment totaling $1.94 million, a required payment of $60,000, and a permanent ban on Hidalgo from owning or operating a pool construction business in Florida.)
Despite the similarity in company names and allegations, there is currently no public evidence linking the Teems — or Staycation Pools & Service LLC — to Hidalgo or his companies. Investigators and court records have not identified any shared ownership, business dealings, or personal association between the parties. Industry observers note the overlap appears to be an unfortunate coincidence rather than an organized pattern.
Most pool builders are honest professionals — but a small number of bad actors cause serious financial harm. Complaints filed with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), the Better Business Bureau, and local law enforcement agencies frequently involve unfinished projects, unreturned deposits, and contractors who cease communication once payment is received.
