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Seabird Sanctuary founder sued twice, accused of selling car to two different buyers

 
The suits are the latest in a string of problems for Ralph Heath.
The suits are the latest in a string of problems for Ralph Heath.
Published Oct. 30, 2014

INDIAN SHORES — Last spring, a Virginia man sued the founder of the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, accusing him of taking money for a car he later refused to sell.

Now, two others have filed a second suit also accusing Ralph Heath of taking money for the same car but failing to turn the vehicle over to them.

The plaintiffs in both lawsuits want Heath to turn over the Chevrolet, described in court documents as a "unique, one of a kind Corvette collector's automobile. It is the only triple red un-restored and all original 1963 Corvette of its kind and is the first fuel-injected Corvette ever known to be delivered in the state of Florida, and it is irreplaceable since it is one of a kind."

They also want damages.

Heath, 69, declined to comment, saying, "Right now, we're keeping everything confidential until it's settled."

The plaintiffs, in Pinellas County court documents, say it happened this way:

Heath agreed on April 9 to sell the Corvette to Frank C. Kelley of Virginia for $75,000. He accepted a check for $15,000 as a down payment. He has refused to turn the car over to Kelley.

On May 1, Heath signed a bill of sale for the same Corvette, agreeing to sell it to Steve Bramati of Illinois for $105,000. Heath allegedly accepted and cashed a $100,000 check for the vehicle but has refused to turn it over to Bramati.

Kelley filed suit on May 23. Bramati and Only Original Once, a Delaware limited liability company, filed suit on Oct. 9.

Neither Bramati nor Evan Metropoulos of Only Once could be reached for comment.

The Bramati lawsuit is the latest in what has become a string of problems for Heath, a zoologist who founded the sanctuary at 18328 Gulf Blvd. in Indian Shores in 1971.

Heath was accused in 1996 of overstating the effect of a cold winter on wild seabirds in a fundraising letter. Heath said in the letter that birds faced "the possibility of famine" because of the weather. But wildlife experts said the seabird population was stable.

The next year, Heath's expenditures came into question over a gulf-front home and a yacht the sanctuary bought. Heath said the house, which cost $300,000, was an investment.

The Whisker was a yacht the sanctuary bought in 1988 for $355,000. It was one of at least 14 boats owned by the sanctuary. One was used to rescue birds; others were donated and were for sale. The Whisker was supposed to bring in money from charter fees, but Heath also used the boat to host parties for supporters and potential donors. He took the yacht to the Bahamas for up to a month at a time. Heath said the trips were to research the effects of plastic pollution on the ocean floor.

In 2007, the sanctuary was forced to close for two days after it failed to pay workers compensation insurance. Five years later, the IRS filed liens for unpaid payroll taxes. The feds also investigated the sanctuary for suspected labor law violations that year. The sanctuary agreed to pay back wages to nine employees.

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Last year, the sanctuary closed its bird hospital after the facility's supervisor resigned. It's unclear if the hospital has reopened.

Earlier this year, state Fish and Wildlife authorities levied 59 citations against Heath, accusing him of failing to properly care for the birds. It's unclear if those accusations have been resolved.

Contact Anne Lindberg at alindberg@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8450. Follow @alindbergtimes.