APOPKA, Fla. – When Frank Swobodzien, of Apopka, needed a four-point home inspection in a hurry, he searched online for home inspectors and found Anthony R. Miller, owner of the now-defunct 199Inspectnow.com.
“He said he could do it and that he had the proper forms for the FHA,” Swobodzien said. “They inspect the roof, the electrical, the plumbing and just general condition of the house.”
Swobodzien needed that specific inspection for an Federal Housing Administration loan, and Miller told him he was available on a Sunday and could do it all for just “$100 cash.”
“He came in with a tool belt on, with screwdrivers and meters and actually looked like this is the guy,”
Swobodzien said.
Miller’s inspection lasted about 45 minutes. Swobodzien said Miller took the cash payment and never contacted him again.
Swobodzien has tried to get his inspection report, but he is convinced Miller is just avoiding him. In fact, Miller’s website and company name has been changed at least three times.
News 6 has learned Anthony R. Miller is actually Anthony R. Maxie, a convicted felon with a string of DUIs and home inspection complaints in Indiana.
A review of Indiana state records shows Maxie’s home inspection license was permanently revoked in May 2018 following complaints ranging from inaccurate reports to walking away with cash payments.
Jeff Clair, treasurer of the Florida Association of Building Inspectors, told News 6 the Miller case is just another layer of evidence that Florida’s licensure standards need to be changed.
“There’s nothing that distinguishes anybody from being a cook one week and a home inspector the next," Clair said. “I can tell you there are over 18,000 home inspectors in Florida and it’s pretty simple to get a license.”
The Florida Association of Building Inspectors Inc. was established in 1984 to set better training and education for home inspectors operating in Florida.
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation told News 6 Maxie legally changed his name to Miller in 2014 and was still listed in good standing with Indiana’s home inspection board when he applied to renew his Florida home inspection license in 2016.
According to DBPR spokesperson Patrick Fargason, Maxie qualified for a Florida inspection license through licensure of endorsement.
According to Fargason, that type of application requires three things:
News 6 and the Florida Association of Building Inspectors contacted Miller/Maxie to inspect a home in Osceola County.
Maxie sent a text indicating he could do the inspection Thursday.
We waited until 3 p.m. He never sent another text, and his current website phone number just keeps ringing.
The DBPR told News 6 state investigators have been investigating his case for several weeks. They are only aware of the complaint filed by Swobodzien
CBS affiliate WTTV was instrumental in exposing Maxie’s string of unsatisfied customers in Indiana.
Those reports ultimately led the Indiana home inspection board permanently revoking his home inspection license.
The status of his Florida home inspection license is unclear. It is set to expire in 2020.