В Форт-Мирсе клиенты обвиняют сервис по ремонту автодомов в незаконном удержании имущества и многолетних задержках

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — A Lee County recreational vehicle repair shop is at the center of growing customer frustration and ongoing legal battles from clients who claim they were left with unfinished work, damaged property, or multi-year delays. An eight-month investigation by WINK Investigates into RV Doctor, Inc. in Fort Myers has uncovered a pattern of customer grievances alongside formal court filings alleging breach of contract, conversion, and improper repair practices. Management and legal counsel for RV Doctor maintain that severe industry-wide supply chain disruptions, hard-to-find backordered parts, customer abandonment, and strict insurance limits account for the delays and disputes. Multiple customers described prolonged delays and unresolved work after entrusting their motorhomes and commercial rigs to the shop. Mel Henderson brought his 2014 Winnebago Vista to RV Doctor following roof damage from Hurricane Ian. For Henderson, his RV was an $80,000 investment to help show his wife and two children the world. What happened with that investment brought him to tears while speaking with Chief WINK Investigates Reporter Chorus Nylander. “The greatest joy is taking your kid out to a site they have never been to and they enjoy it... [CRIES]... sorry.” Henderson turned over a $20,000 insurance check to RV Doctor expecting prompt service, but pulled his unfinished RV after a year of the repairs remaining unfinished. Henderson stated he paid over $10,000 to another repair facility to complete the work. He said he was promised his RV would remain undercover due to the roof damage, but when he went to see it he discovered it was left exposed to the elements. RV Doctor disputes his claims and confirmed he signed a hold harmless and non-disclosure agreement with RV Doctor to retrieve his rig. Henderson acknowledged having to sign a document to retrieve his RV but said he did so just so he could get it out of that shop quickly. “They strung it along. Not a way to do business,” Henderson said. RV Doctor stated that replacement roof parts from Winnebago were placed on backorder amid regional hurricane recovery efforts, and that Henderson instructed staff to stop work so he could take the vehicle on vacation. Then there’s James Ludway, a retired avid traveler that lives in his motorhome full time. “The only states I haven’t been in are Alaska and Hawaii,” he explained. He says he paid over $7,000 to RV Doctor for a custom furniture installation in his primary motorhome and dropped off a second smaller RV for engine work. Ludway said he went more than two years without receiving the furniture or retrieving his second vehicle. RV Doctor cited manufacturer lead times of three to four months for custom furniture orders and stated Ludway abandoned communication, Ludway denies claims he “abandoned communication.” The shop reported that it has returned the furniture to the manufacturer, will issue a refund for his deposit, and made arrangements to return his smaller RV. Ludway as of August 25th, says he has not received the promised refund but had his RV released back to him that afternoon. He believes the only reason that happened is because WINK Investigates got involved. Chorus Nylander has been looking into this situation since December. On August 17th WINK Investigates informed RV Doctor’s leadership that we intended to publish this story. Approximately three hours after that email, Ludway received a voicemail from the company’s COO Rachael Akard. When he called her back he said he was offered the refund and return of his RV. While getting video for this report outside RV Doctor’s office Friday, Chorus Nylander happened to run into Kevin Hunt, another upset customer. Hunt says he entrusted his $75,000 custom sleeper truck to RV Doctor, turning over a more than $13,000 insurance check for repairs. Hunt stated the vehicle remained exposed to the elements with incomplete repairs for over three years, costing his business potential income with the truck out of service. “That [truck] should be making me $25,000 to $30,000 a month,” he said. RV Doctor stated all paid insurance funds were fully spent on authorized work and that supplemental claims were denied. The company added that Hunt repeatedly committed via text messages to tow the truck to his own mechanic since March 2026 but failed to do so. Rachael Akard told us in an email Monday, “Mr. Hunt has been highly belligerent during his visits. The Fort Myers Police Department has been called to our location multiple times due to his hostile behavior, and officers have explicitly instructed him to tow his property. Today, Mr. Hunt threatened our staff's physical safety. We have performed all services we were compensated for, and multiple police reports have been filed regarding his ongoing harassment.” Hunt says his truck was never “abandoned” and admits to being agitated but told Chorus Nylander that under the circumstances “why wouldn’t I be?” WINK Investigates reached out to Fort Myers Police; a spokesperson told us: “I don’t see anything involving a trespass or that we have removed him from the property. There is one incident where he was reportedly being aggressive with owners.” RV Doctor sent us communications it had with Hunt showing the following: March 18–19: Hunt threatened to involve law enforcement over alleged unreturned calls and emails, while shop staff maintained they had received no prior messages. April 20: Hunt noted staffing turnover—citing the departure of the shop's general manager—and requested to schedule a pick-up while asking staff to charge his batteries. April 28–May 6: After staff informed Hunt the batteries were dead and required towing, shop management repeatedly warned him that city municipal code prohibited keeping inoperable units outside the gate. Hunt pledged multiple times to arrange an after-hours tow truck but failed to follow through, according to RV Doctor. June 1–2: Hunt inquired whether his independent mechanic from Tampa could service the truck outside the gate to get it running, while pressing management on the delivery status of the truck's back door. In response to these customers complaints, RV Doctor’s attorney Stephen McGuire sent Chorus Nylander the following statement on Monday: “You may consider this response as having come through counsel for RV Doctor, Inc. I asked them to respond to you directly, because I have not been involved in some of these matters, and to keep their attorney’s fees down. Many of the allegations made by these customers are protected by Florida’s litigation privilege when made within the context of court filings and statements; they are not so protected when made in scandalous “news” broadcasts, designed to destroy a family-owned small business, struggling to survive in this languid economy.” Henderson, Ludway and Hunt have not filed lawsuits but RV Doctor is named in active civil litigation in Lee County. Len Aaron Brown filed a lawsuit in Lee County Court alleging breach of contract, violations of the Florida Motor Vehicle Repair Act, and unfair trade practices. Brown alleges the shop submitted an unauthorized, cut-and-pasted signature on a repair estimate to his extended warranty provider, CornerStone United, to secure payment before work was completed. Brown further claims technicians installed an incorrect generator sensor, cracked the generator's oil pan case, and attempted to hide the damage with JB-Weld putty. Brown eventually paid $8,408.56 to a different RV repair shop to replace the damaged generator assembly. Legal counsel Stephen McGuire and COO Rachael Akard stated the generator housing was already cracked and altered prior to arrival. Akard stated Brown told staff he relied strictly on shore power, instructed them not to perform generator work, declined a repair quote, and signed an oil leak disclosure upon pickup. The lawsuit is ongoing. You can view the complaint here and RV Doctor’s answer. John and Carolyn Smith filed a civil complaint in Lee County Circuit Court seeking damages in excess of $50,000, asserting counts of breach of contract, conversion, civil theft, and replevin. The Smiths allege they delivered their motorhome to the facility in July 2021 and paid a $7,000 deposit for paint, tires, carpeting, and air conditioning repairs. The suit claims the shop failed to complete the work within a reasonable timeframe and refused to return the vehicle. Rachael Akard stated the owners informed staff they had relocated, instructed the shop to take its time to ensure the work was completed correctly, and that technicians are finalizing repairs to render the unit roadworthy. That lawsuit was filed last month and RV Doctor has not yet filed a formal answer to the complaint in court. You can view the complaint here. You can review the docket here; the case number is 362026CA004238A001CH. Leadership for RV Doctor strongly denied any intentional wrongdoing or efforts to withhold customer property. Attorney Stephen McGuire declined an on-camera interview, telling WINK Investigates that RV servicing differs significantly from standard automobile maintenance due to complex component sourcing, widespread manufacturer backorders, and strict insurance coverage scope constraints. Chief Operating Officer Rachael Akard stated the business is operating under new management while dealing with personal family medical hardships. Akard emphasized that the shop is actively working to communicate with clients, complete legitimate repair orders, return property, and issue refunds where appropriate. WINK Investigates will continue to follow court developments and pending customer resolutions. If you have a story you’d like WINK Investigates to dig into email us at [email protected] or call our tip line at 239-344-5074.