The Villages has gone to federal court to try to stop rogue breakaway salespeople who were formerly in the fold with Properties of The Villages.
The former salespeople named in the lawsuit are Jason and Angela Kranz and Christopher Day.
The three successful Properties of The Villages salespeople set off a bombshell on Dec. 16 when they each announced – by email to their colleagues – their abrupt departure from Properties of The Villages, which is led by Jennifer Parr, daughter of H. Gary Morse and granddaughter of Villages founder Harold Schwartz.
Those emails were followed by a social media announcement that they had founded KD Premier Realty LLC.
In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, The Villages alleges the trio is in breach of independent contractor agreements they had signed which made them privy to valuable and sensitive information about The Villages and its customers. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges the three are in violation of the Defend Trade Secrets Act and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The suit alleges the trio has in their possession “confidential and proprietary information” they plan to use in their competing business.
Day’s time as a Properties of The Villages sales agent dates back to 2005. Jason Kranz became a salesperson for Properties of The Villages in 2010. His wife joined the sales force in 2017.
The three had re-signed their independent contractor agreements as recently as 2018, according to the lawsuit.
The suit points out that salespeople are under a 24-month non-compete agreement after leaving Properties of The Villages.
Day allegedly texted a former Properties of The Villages colleague informing him the non-compete agreements had “expired.” He urged the former colleague to “come with” him. Day and Kranz allegedly reached out to several Properties of The Villages sales force members, encouraging to leave.
Jason and Angela Kranz live at Oxford Oaks, the family development created by The Villages.
