SALT LAKE CITY — The owner of a houseboat management company is accused of mismanaging money intended for maintenance and storage fees, causing the owners and shareholders of 34 houseboats on Lake Powell to nearly lose their boats, according to prosecutors.
Jordan Blackwell Schneiman, 41, of Sandy, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with nine counts of unlawful dealing of property by a fiduciary, and engaging in a pattern of unlawful activity, both second-degree felonies.
The Utah Attorney General’s Office began investigating Lake Point Management LLC, a houseboat management company based in Sandy, in January 2019. Several groups that share ownership in houseboats stationed in Page, Arizona, at the Antelope Point Marina on Lake Powell were affected, according to charging documents.
“Through my investigation I identified a total of 34 legal entities that suffered a substantial risk of loss or detriment due to Schneiman’s unlawful conduct. These entities are each comprised of approximately nine to 18 members or shareholders who are fractional owners in one of the 34 houseboats,” the charges state.
Schneiman was hired to manage the care, maintenance and expenses of the houseboats, including annual dues, repair fees, general maintenance and storage fees, according to the charges.
“As time passed, houseboat owners discovered that their houseboats had accrued substantial debts while under Schneiman’s care. Many of the houseboats owed thousands of dollars to the marina in delinquent slip fees. Marine insurance coverage had lapsed on some of the houseboats for failure to pay premiums. Some houseboats had expired vessel registrations,” the charges allege.
When owners tried to regain control of the management of their houseboat accounts, “In many cases the entity bank accounts had balances of zero or negative balances. Overdraft fees had been accruing and many accounts had been closed by the bank,” according to charging documents. “Houseboat entities were forced to negotiate settlements with the marina and other vendors.
“Owners had to pay the marine insurance carrier directly to reinstate insurance policies. The loss of their funds resulted in substantial harm to each of the houseboat entities.”
According to prosecutors, Schneiman used Lake Point Management’s general business account to pay for business and personal expenses. He would then transfer funds from one houseboat entity’s account to pay the expenses of another houseboat, the charges state.
By the end of 2018, the general manager for Antelope Point Marina “threatened to pull 20 houseboats under Schneiman’s care out of the water” because they were behind $800,000 total in fees and storage costs, according to the charges.