A vendor who provided products to Keel & Curley Winery in Plant City is suing its owner, Joe Keel, for failing to remit payment for those goods amounting to more than $30,000.
Keel & Curley allegedly failed to pay for things like beer kegs, wine yeast and polyethersulfone, a solution used to remove bacteria.
The lawsuit also seeks more than $23,000 from Two Henrys Brewing company for also failing to remit payments for goods.
Keel should know his way around the civil litigation process. This isn’t the first time he’s found himself listed on a lawsuit.
Earlier this year, Keel accused Hillsborough County Commissioner Al Higginbotham of collaborating to keep him from being able to operate his winery. Keel filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics.
Higginbotham was cleared of the allegations in April.
Then, last month, the Hillsborough County Commission voted 6-1 in favor of petitioning the ethics board to force Keel to pay nearly $10,000 in legal fees incurred defending Higginbotham against Keel’s allegations.
Last year Keel sued two neighborhood activists who opposed rezoning the winery property in order to allow beer sales. In two separate lawsuits he alleged William Woodall Ray Young damaged his reputation by spreading lies about his business and professional reputation.
What’s most interesting is the beer brewing company Keel is now suing is the same Two Henry’s Brewing Keel sought to protect in the lawsuit last year. He had just launched the brewery onsite in 2013 and wanted to be able to sell its beer.
Two Henry’s Brewing is owned by K & C Cork and Bottle LLC, not Keel.
