Coppola, contractors in fight over unpaid bills

Movie mogul Francis Ford Coppola's winery in Geyserville may be a showplace, but contractors say they haven't been paid for work they did there.

Eleven contractors have filed more than $1.8 million in mechanic's liens against the property, according to Sonoma County records. Two contractors are suing the Coppola project, named after the film director, producer and screenwriter best known for "The Godfather" trilogy.

One of the lawsuits is scheduled for a conference Thursday in Sonoma County Superior Court.

The largest claim against Coppola's winery was filed by Grassi & Associates, a general contractor from Napa that specializes in high-end winery projects. Grassi is seeking nearly $1.3 million that's been due since August, plus interest and legal fees.

An attorney for Coppola said Tuesday the filmmaker's winery has paid most of the bills submitted by contractors, but final payments have been stalled because of a disagreement over the construction.

"Francis Ford Coppola Winery has paid Grassi multiple millions of dollars and has a dispute over the last invoices and Grassi's responsibility to complete the project, which we are trying to work out," said Jeffrey Lowenthal.

"We are hopeful for an early resolution."

Grassi president Mark Grassi and his attorney didn't return calls seeking comment.

LeDuc & Dexter, a Santa Rosa plumbing contractor, is owed about $55,000, said Tom LeDuc, the company's president. Plumbers finished their work on the massive winery last summer and LeDuc is still waiting for final payment, he said.

"Since August, they didn't pay us a dime," said LeDuc. "We lost our tail on it."

Under California law, unpaid mechanic's liens can lead to foreclosure on a property, forcing the owner to sell it. They also can cloud the title, affecting an owner's ability to borrow against it.

With the downturn in the economy, contractors are finding it harder to get paid, said Keith Woods, chief executive of North Coast Builders Exchange, a trade group that represents about 1,500 contractors.

"There's far more of this than would have been going on five years ago," he said. "This economy has put everyone in a slow-pay mode."

Coppola bought the former Chateau Souverain winery in 2006

and rebuilt it from top to bottom, renovating the winery, tasting room and restaurant and adding a park, entertainment pavilion, bocce ball courts, gallery of movie memorabilia and two swimming pools with "cabines," European-style changing rooms.

Coppola said he was inspired by Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen and other classic amusement parks. He called it "a wine wonderland, a park of pleasure where people of all ages can enjoy all the best things in life - food, wine, music, dancing, games, swimming and performances of all types. A place to celebrate the love of life."

Most of the new attractions opened last July, and the pools opened April 1.

Coppola representatives won't say what the project cost, but estimates put it close to $30 million.

In liens filed between September and Jan. 2, contractors said they are owed for plumbing, electrical, heating, tilework, doors, metalwork, sitework, sewers and other improvements.

The work was done on the restaurant, pools, bocce courts, cabanas and other areas, according to county records.

Kyle Reicher, a noted metal sculptor who owns Ferrous Studios in Richmond, said it was exciting to work on the Coppola project.

"It was an amazing opportunity for artisans, because of Francis' vision," he said.

But he's frustrated that he hasn't been paid for much of his work.

"I'm still owed a lot," he said.