An attorney for former sales representatives of Properties of The Villages has agreed to a March 29 trial in the case in which his clients are being sued for breach of contract.
Properties of The Villages had urged a federal judge to move ahead with a trial aimed at corralling the breakaway sales people who The Villages claimed “will continue to unjustly profit” if the legal proceeding is delayed.
The attorney representing Christopher Day, Jason Kranz and sales people who defected with them now says he has resolved a conflicting trial that also had been set for March 29.
That means a case that could see Villages Vice President Jennifer Parr, her brother Mark Morse, Villages Charter School Director Randy McDaniel, Villages Charter School Athletic Director Richard Pettus and Villages Vice President for Community Relations Gary Lester, called to the stand will move forward later this month in federal court in Tampa.
Properties of The Villages attorney John Lauro vehemently fought the delay sought by the defense.
Lauro, known by many as a Fox News analyst, will square off against a legal team headed by Jonathan Pollard of Pollard PLLC of Fort Lauderdale. Pollard’s practice is focused on competition law and he has “extensive experience litigating both sides of complex non-compete and trade secret matters,” according to his professional biography.
At the heart of the legal battle are independent contract agreements signed by all of the sales representatives of Properties of The Villages. The agreements signed by Day, Kranz and others included non-compete clauses that were to be in effect for two years after their departure. They claim their independent contract agreements had expired at the time they left.
Day and Kranz, who had been top producers at Properties of The Villages, abruptly left in December 2019. Their departure and their new venture, NextHome KD Premier Realty, brought on the full legal fury of Properties of The Villages.
There has not been a case of this magnitude challenging Properties of The Villages and it could hold ramifications on its future relationships with sales representatives.