Homeowner responds to suit with one of his own

DADE CITY -- A homeowner targeted on Wednesday in a lawsuit by the company that built his townhome fired back on Friday with a lawsuit of his own.

Daniel Portalatin, who bought a townhome in the Sedgwick subdivision of Meadow Pointe, was sued Wednesday by Sedgwick Developers Inc. The company claims Portalatin has slandered the company and scared off potential buyers with criticism of the builders.

Portalatin denied making false statements. He said homes in the development are fraught with problems and shoddy workmanship. The company is seeking an order silencing Portalatin's complaints.

On Friday, Portalatin filed a small claims lawsuit against Sedgwick sales office associate Susan Y. Carey seeking $5,000 in damages, claiming she spread false statements about him.

"Mrs. Susan Y. Carey has spread inflammatory statement and rumors about me to the Sedgwick homeowners and to Sedgwick Developers stating that I am a crazy man, the nut that's taking pictures and in once case in particular stated directly to a homeowner that they were going to get me," Portalatin said in a handwritten suit he filed himself.

On Friday afternoon, Carey denied making any derogatory statements.

"It is not true," she said. "I have never referred to any homeowner by name."

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