Don Was Worth About $113,000 When I Met Him

Summary

At the time that I met Don he still owned his two lots on 62nd where our office trailer was and where he sold used cars and cut axles off trailers. In 1980 they would have been worth about 25k including the office trailer. Apparently he co owned that with David Blaisdell at the time so I don’t know if or when he bought Davie out. He also still owned the Lakewood lot where he would later build a house for his wife Gladys. Back then that would have been worth about 20k max, as he’d already sold off two sections of it to others and just kept about 3 acres or so. He was owed a 28k third mortgage on Sheldon Wind, Esquire’s office. He could have still owned PT S23 T29 R19 which was worth about 40k.

I did this title search on June 2, 2020 because people keep repeating the lie that Don was a millionaire when I met him. This is in the public record and anyone can search the record to see that I am telling the truth. When I first searched his name online, I used his legal name: Jack Donald Lewis and only found a couple of lots and his house in his name between 1950 and Jan. 1981 when I met him, but further research on variations on his name led to a few more entries. He still wasn’t a millionaire, and in fact seemed to have a history of getting into trouble financially and having to give properties back when he couldn’t make the payments.

1965: 12/30/65 Don sells Lot 37, Faulkenburg Heights to McMillion but where did he get this parcel?

1965: On the same day as the above sale, 12/30/65, Don bought Lot 18, Blk 5 Buffalo Estates from Harris. He sells it to Jones on 12/30/68 for around $8000. 1967: Don buys PT S2 T29 R19 from Law and owes her a mortgage of $3500.00 which he pays off in 1972. In 1972 Don sells this parcel to Wright under an agreement for deed and a final deed in 1979. Don filled out a UCC-1 to finance a piano this year.

1969: Don & David Blaisdell buy PT S15 T29 R19 from Parrino with a mortgage back to Parrino. In 1976 Don deeds it to Wendell Williams for 10k, who pays Don off in 1979. In 1980 Don and David Blaisdell paid off Parrino.

1972: Don buys Lot 4, Block 8 Everina Homes from Yates. He sold it 2 years later to Varklet.

1973: Don and David Blaisdell bought Lot 11, 12, 13 Triangle Sub from the same Parrino and owed a mortgage back of $11,000 to Parrino. I think these are the lots where our office was on Broadway and 62nd. 1974: Don buys a lot from Don Garlitz (the race car driver) PT S2 T29 R20 for 22k. Don owed a mortgage back to Garlitz. In 1976 he sold off part of it to Oliver. In 1978 he sold off another part to LeBeuf and with that sale was able to pay off Garlitz. I think this may be the Lakewood property, but am not sure.

1975-1976: Don was sued by 4 entities separately and ended up with judgements against him. One of the lawsuits resulted in favor of Wright, who Don had sold a property to. The others appear to have to do with his trucking business as they are leasing companies and shipping companies. In 1979 Don satisfies the judgment to Leasing Service Corp.

1976: Don buy PT S33 T28 R21 from Odom but two month later Don and Odom are sued by Dunn who gets a 9500.00 judgment against them. Don later sells the property to Bingham in 1980.

1977: Don buys PT S23 T29 R19 from Hall and mortgages it for 40k to Flagship Bank. In 1979 Don pays off the bank when he sells part of the land to the county as road right of way.

1978: Don buys Lot 1, Block 119 So. Tampa Villa Sites for 2500.00 from Shields in April but then quit claims it back to Shields in August of 1978 and quit claims to Cook in 1979, the latter is probably to clear the chain of title.

1979: Don loads Sheldon Wind, Esquire 28k as a third mortgage on his office building at the corner of Hillsborough and N. Florida Ave. 1980: Don sells L4 B6 Brandonwood Sub to O-Keefe on 1/22/80 but I can’t figure out how he had any interest in it.

1980: Don buys PT S4 T29 R20 from Waters for 16k based on doc stam