A Florida Contractor Faced Dozens of Complaints. One Homeowner Just Won $26,161

A Florida homeowner’s fight to recover money following a contractor dispute ultimately paid off—to the tune of more than $26,000.

Roberta Murphy was among dozens of people who filed complaints involving contractor Paul Stephen Beattie.

Her case was ultimately included in a 2024 settlement between the contractor and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

The publicly available settlement identifies Murphy’s complaint by case number but does not detail the underlying allegations or explain what work led to the dispute. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) was contacted for additional records about Murphy’s case.

The arrangement was a peculiar one. With numerous disciplinary cases pending, the contractor and the department reached a settlement. The settlement says both sides wanted to avoid the time and expense of prolonged litigation. The contractor neither admitted nor denied the allegations and agreed to give up his Florida contracting licenses.

The agreement also laid out what would happen with restitution. Homeowners named in the settlement who could document their claimed losses and prove their claims could establish they were owed restitution. However, the contractor would not be penalized through the licensing case for failing to pay it. Instead, qualifying homeowners could pursue compensation through Florida’s Homeowners’ Construction Recovery Fund.

Florida Board Approves More Than $26,000

There was an important condition attached to that arrangement. Under the settlement, the state agreed not to seek repayment from the contractor for money the recovery fund paid on his behalf. If the contractor ever sought a Florida contracting license again, however, he would first have to repay those amounts.

The Florida Homeowners’ Construction Recovery Fund is intended as a “last resort” for eligible homeowners after they have exhausted other civil remedies.

Murphy ultimately filed a claim with the fund. During a September 2025 meeting, the Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board approved Murphy v. Beattie, Claim No. 2025-009617, for $26,161.49.

Murphy Wasn’t the Only Homeowner to Receive Money

Not every dispute with a contractor qualifies. Under Florida law, homeowners generally need a final judgment, restitution order, or arbitration award based on certain types of contractor misconduct before seeking payment from the fund.

Murphy was far from the only homeowner to have a claim involving this particular contractor approved by the recovery fund.

During the same September meeting, the state board approved five other related claims ranging from $41,091.60 to $50,000.