ST. LUCIE COUNTY — More than a year after developers of the planned Cloud Grove had the county put the controversial 12,000-home project “on hold,” their creditor has added it to the Treasure Coast’s ranks of foreclosed properties.

“I imagine this pretty much closes any opportunities for that project,” St. Lucie County Commission Chairwoman Paula Lewis said this week.

MLIC Asset Holdings LLC, of Morristown, N.J., an affiliate of the lender, Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., filed the foreclosure suit in Circuit Court on Nov. 26, accusing the developers of failing to pay on a $48 million mortgage.

MLIC is scheduled to auction the Cloud Grove land to the “highest and best bidder” at 11 a.m. June 24 in the St. Lucie County Courthouse.

Officials from Lennar Homes, who were managing the project in a partnership with Centex Homes, could not be reached for comment. (more…)

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Dalton James says he labored in his kitchen 10 hours a day for several days preparing meals of chicken and rice for the more than 2,000 people who celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with the St. Lucie County School District last year.

The Port St. Lucie caterer had worked with the district’s Hispanic Advisory Council on an event the year before, so when a member approached him about providing food for four events in 2008, James said he agreed. He even agreed to prepare and provide the meals at a discounted price — but he never agreed to work for free or donate any food, he said. Now, six months later, the Port St. Lucie resident says he’s still waiting to be paid the nearly $10,000 he says the school district owes him for the food and services.

He alleges the ordeal has caused such upheaval in his life, he’s filed a lawsuit against the school district and its Hispanic Advisory Council. He’s also seeking nearly $30,000 in “consequential and incidental” damages he says he’s suffered in the months since.

“No matter if they pay me what they owe me now, I’m still at a loss,” the owner of One World International catering said.

James and his Port St. Lucie attorney, Christy Yonta, said they have yet to receive an explanation from the district about why he was not paid. But Yonta said the school district’s attorney contacted her this week, and both sides are trying to reach some sort of settlement.

Dan Harrell, the district’s attorney, declined to comment on the pending lawsuit.

“They did reach out and we’re going to try to make it right,” Yonta said. (more…)

PORT ST. LUCIE — Financial and legal problems are mounting at the exclusive Tesoro development in St. Lucie County.

Tesoro’s parent company, the Ginn Cos., remains tight-lipped over how the company plans to cope with money problems and a new lawsuit filed recently in St. Lucie County.

Company executives indicated Tuesday the company still was negotiating with creditors over missed loan and interest payments due over the summer.

“We are currently negotiating with a group of lenders that represent a credit facility on several of our communities including Tesoro,” said Ginn spokesman Ryan Julison. “However, these negotiations are ongoing and we have not reached resolution regarding the go forward.” (more…)