9 Investigates

9 Investigates: Scoreboards for Apopka in storage 4 months later

APOPKA, Fla. — 9 Investigates uncovered the city of Apopka is just weeks away from taking possible legal action against a company that promised to produce four “state of the art” scoreboards.

Investigative reporter Karla Ray reported in October the city's use of reserve funds to buy the scoreboards that have sat in a storage unit in Sanford.

A representative from Major Display told 9 Investigates when we first started looking into the story that the delays had to do with the height of the fences at the baseball field.

Apopka spent $46,500 to partner with the North Carolina scoreboard manufacturer to sell advertising space on the boards.

Once ad revenue covered the additional $85,000 cost for the equipment, Apopka would receive 70 percent of all future revenue with a potential to make an estimated $430,000 over the course of seven years.

The city hoped the scoreboards would be in place by last spring’s baseball season.

A spokesperson for Major Display told 9 Investigates the scoreboards would be in place before the new year, but that didn’t happen.

City emails show in November, a Major Display representative told the city “the truck carrying the scoreboards broke down en route due to a broken axle.” The email also said the other scoreboards on the truck were for Boone High School.

9 Investigates learned city leaders later found out Boone High School had no order with Major Display.

A follow-up email from Major Display to the city of Apopka read the “scoreboards are in a storage facility in Sanford and that the co-owner of Major Display is the only one with a key, so no one could see the scoreboards without him.”

Ray went to the storage facility Thursday and called the company to see if she could view the boards, but the company representative hung up on her.

If the boards are not in place by March 1, it’s considered a breach of contract and the city will then demand a full refund, 9 Investigates learned.

Meanwhile, the city of Apopka had to dip into its reserves to balance its budget this year and it increased the millage rate.

Karla Ray

Karla Ray, WFTV.com

Karla Ray anchors Eyewitness News This Morning on Saturday and Sundays, and is an investigative reporter for the 9 Investigates unit.