JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — New information on a Jacksonville outdoor company accused of bad business practices.
The Ask Anthony team has interviewed customers who say they paid thousands of dollars for outdoor kitchens and other products they can't use or never received. The company, Premier Outdoor USA, continues to place blame on the manufacturer and customers.
Since April, Anthony Austin has been investigating the company, and the man in charge, Shaun Jackrel. Recently, he found out the company and Jackrel may have to find another place to open up shop.
"We're expanding and we're moving!" Jackrel exclaims in a video on Facebook.
Jackrel's business is located on Philips Highway in Jacksonville. The name on the building now says Outdoor Dream Company. According to state documents, the company has the same address as Premier Outdoor USA. Jackrel is listed as Vice President of Outdoor Dream Company.
Recently, advertisements started popping up on social media, with Jackrel saying Outdoor Dream Company was changing locations. But is there a reason behind this?
According to a lawsuit originally filed on May 24 against Jaguar Motorsports, Premier Outdoor USA, and Outdoor Dream Company, all businesses that are connected to Jackrel, rent for the building on Philips highway has not been paid since May 19th.
According to a document filed on August 8th, the current balance is more than $186,000.
In a response filed from Jackrel's attorneys with the court, on behalf of Premier Outdoor and Outdoor Dream Company, the landlord executed a written lease agreement with Jaguar Power Sports LLC, not Premier Outdoor and Outdoor Dream Company, so they're not obligated to pay rent to the plaintiff.
According to a different lawsuit filed late last year, Jackrel sold Jaguar Power Sports in February of 2023. The new owners are suing Jackrel, alleging he was untruthful during the sale. The new owner says they were told the company's cashflow in 2022 was $913,000. But, according to the lawsuit, was actually negative $60,000.
In response, Jackrel said he did not make any intentional misrepresentations and is not liable for the plaintiff's "poor business practices or business management."
Last week, a document was filed by the landlord's attorneys for an emergency conference with the court. It says the defendants have made no efforts to pay any portion of the rent owed and clearly intend to occupy the premises rent free.
Anthony Austin texted and emailed Jackrel and his attorneys for a response to the lawsuit. He did not receive one before this story was published.
According to a spokesperson with the State Attorney General's office, the consumer protection division is actively investigating the outdoor company with 38 customer complaints currently filed.
