On Nov. 7th after 3 years of talks and solicitations from Mr. Stitt, I entered a contract with the defendant to convert my Mini 500 Helicopter (ser#0277) to a turbine powered aircraft, a copy of the contract dated the same is attached.
On that date he picked up the unit from my home along with $500 in cash and a check for $9,500. On 12/9/03 he advised me the aircraft was ready for engine installation and I wired an additional $10,000 to his personal bank account.
When I arrived to inspect the helicopter at the Air show in Lakeland FL on or about April 16th the aircraft was on display but only as a mock up with my cabin and body parts on a different frame and an empty engine casing and damage to the paint job. Stitt assured me it would be completed shortly after the show but I was becoming skeptical and offered him to barter so he could use the ship for a factory demo providing he furnished me with TWO complete turbine power plants that I would use on my certified Enstrom Helicopter. He agreed to this but never fulfilled the promise or the conversion contract.
Six months later, in November of after many phone calls, emails and excuses from Mr. Stitt I finally decided to cut my losses and liquidate the aircraft to him for $12,000 (a fraction of it's cost) and the return of my $20,000 deposit ($32,000). He agreed to this but never signed the agreement of sale or sent the deposit so in January I set a deadline 1/31/05 to complete the transaction.
He failed to comply and told me he was taking the (now stolen) aircraft to the next air show in FL. I notified him that he was not authorized to do so and was in breach of our contract. I then contacted Captain Ron Jackson of the Excelsior Springs Police Dept. Who proceeded to inform me that he had a dozen other complaints of a similar nature on Mr. Stitt and his company which ironically is located on the same street as the police department.
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