JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The "Ask Anthony" team received two emails from two different people. After reading the emails closely, we realized they were both dealing with the same issue.
They used the same local business to sell their boats and neither one of them received their money.
"We're still paying for a boat that's not even in our possession," Dave Robbins said.
Dave and Vanessa Robbins were the owners of a 2004 Sea Fox boat. Last year, they decided to sell it. The Robbins turned to Discount Boats of Jacksonville for help.
"She took our boat and promised to sell it for us," Vanessa Robbins added.
Robbins is referring to Jill Haskell. She currently manages Discount Boats, a new and used boat dealership that was built on Arlington Road by her father in 1972.
According to a contract, the Robbins entered an agreement to sell their boat at a net price of $19,500. The paperwork shows it sold to a buyer from Indiana for $25,000.
"She sold the boat, but didn't give us the money for the boat. So, the boat is somewhere in Indiana," Dave Robbins said.
The Robbins had a loan through VyStar Credit Union. Some of the money from the sale of the boat was supposed to be used to pay off the loan. The Robbins say that never happened.
"It's still active at VyStar. We're still paying on it. VyStar owns the title. So, there's a lien on the boat. The guy who purchased the boat in Indiana can't register it. There's no way to register it if you don't have the title and everything," Vanessa Robbins explained.
The Robbins aren't alone in their troubles.
"It was right before Christmas, my wife had lost her job," Nelson McNeill said.
Nelson McNeill decided to sell his 2004 Sailfish 188 boat to help his family make ends meet.
"By me selling that boat, it brought more income for the Christmas and then the cost to survive throughout the six months that she had lost her job," McNeill explained.
Like the Robbins, McNeill used Discount Boats to sell his boat at a net price of $12,000. He said in January, he spoke with Jill Haskell and found out it had sold.
McNeill says he hasn't received any of the money.
"The lady kept telling me she got to send this paperwork in and then I wait a week. I would call her and she said we'll meet at the office. By the time I get there, she'd be gone," McNeill said.
Both McNeill and the Robbins have filed lawsuits against Discount Boats and Haskell.
"It's so messed up that she could own a business and do what she [does] and ain't nobody doing nothing about it," McNeill added.
The Robbins say Haskell sent an email to their attorney that said she was going to refinance her home and use the money to satisfy any business debts. But, that hasn't happened.
"It just really feels like she stole from us," Vanessa Robbins said.
We spoke with Jill Haskell about this issue. We told her this story was airing Thursday and offered her the chance to share her side of the story. She declined to make any public comment.
Discount Boats currently has an "F" grade with the Better Business Bureau.