Koster sues Missouri developer over time-share telemarketing
Attorney General Chris Koster today sued a wealthy Missouri developer and two Florida companies for allegedly calling Missouri consumers whose numbers are listed on the state’s do-not-call registry.
In a press release, Koster’s office said the companies — Summer Bay Sales & Marketing and and Tele Secure International — “made repetitive and harassing calls to consumers telling them they won a free trip and soliciting vacation travel packages.”
Clermont, Fla.-based Summer Bay is owned by Joe H. Scott Sr., one of Missouri’s wealthiest developers and a defendant in the suit.
(Although Summer Bay is based in Florida, the firm’s logo is visible on a building at 100 North Tucker, where it keeps an office.)
The suit says Scott is a Florida resident, but he also lives on a 8,000-acre spread in and around Ste. Genevieve County’s wine country. He owns Creve Coeur-based Scott Properties, which owns and manages 2 million square feet of commercial real estate; as well as Ste. Genevieve County’s Crown Valley Winery; an affiliated brewery and distillery; a tiger sanctuary and a nearby golf course.
Koster’s press release makes no mention of Scott, or any Missouri connection to the Florida telemarketing firms.
The suit seeks a court order prohibiting the companies from calling Missourians on the Do-Not-Call Registry. It also seeks penalties equal to $5,000 per telemarketing violation plus the cost of the state’s investigation and suit.
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Why is the person’s wealth so important that it’s used as a description of the person in the first mention in the first paragraph? If the implication is that it’s “ill-gotten wealth” why not say so? If what is meant is “successful,” why not say so? Mentions such as this in a ‘news’ piece only drive a wedge into our society.
And why are you linking to all of his websites? Sounds like someone (*cough* stltoday.com *cough*) is kissing some Scott butt. What a shady practice. Those of us in Ste. Genevieve County would prefer he keep his fingers out of so much.
Ron accuses me of trying to incite a class war against Joe Scott; Cammi suggests I’m trying to ingratiate myself with the man by linking to some of his business interests. Of course, I intended to do neither.
Ron, you might be right — but I’m not quite convinced. Business success and personal wealth are two different things, although there’s no doubt that Mr. Scott has possessed both. I’m not sure why mentioning either one of them should be out of bounds or, for that matter, particularly divisive.
Cammi, I linked to Mr. Scott’s properties primarily for the sake of word economy. I thought that approach would allow me to avoid using the proper names for all those businesses, which I think would have muddled an otherwise brief blog post with gratuitous words. I have no idea whether any of those businesses advertises with the Post-Dispatch, nor would knowing that affect anything I write.
I was surprised, when I took a look at the tiger sanctuary/Crowne Winery website that there is a place to DONATE to the “Scott Foundation” to help pay for the tigers’ upkeep. OMG! Perhaps Mr. Scott should make a donation himself to help the poor darn things!
Momma D do more research BEFORE you blog about things. Joe Scott DOES contribute many of his dollars towards the tigers. These tigers were malnurished an in danger of dying or being killed and he not only took them in but has given them a very good home and they are very well kept in a habitat more familiar to where they should be….not a circus or in someones backyard who cant afford to feed them. Yes the public can donate money however Joe Scott is the main caretaker of finances for them and their well being.
Why Joe Scotts missouri businesses were put in this artical who knows….. i would agree with Ron and his statements here. People are so sue happy these days….they are all looking for an easy dollar. Check your facts on Tele Secure that is who made the calls and that is where the focus should be here. Not the tigers or the winery or any of Joe Scotts St. Louis entities.