Judge shrinks $20M jury verdict to $150,000

SARASOTA — A Sarasota County judge reversed a jury's decision in a high-profile case where developer Hugh Culverhouse Jr. had accused other developers of cutting him out of a lucrative mixed-use project through political machinations.

The decision, from Sarasota County Circuit Court Judge Peter Dubensky, vindicates the targets of Culverhouse's lawsuit, fellow prominent developers Henry Rodriguez and Randy Benderson. The ruling also shrinks what was a $20 million verdict into $150,000, and removes Rodriguez and Benderson from personal liability. The remaining $150,000 judgment is directed toward an entity controlled by University Park-based Benderson Development.

“This is a significant ruling by the court, which we believe is consistent with the law,” Benderson Development attorney Steve Chase, with Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, says in an interview with the Business Observer. “We are pleased with the outcome.”