A Brazilian steakhouse in Ocala has sued a Miami-based electrical company after it says it paid $23,000 for an air conditioning unit that was the wrong size.
Ipanema of Ocala Corp, which operates Ipanema Brazilian Steak House, filed the lawsuit against Miami Electrical Services, Inc. in Marion County court on Thursday, October 5.
According to the complaint, on July 6, 2023, an employee at the restaurant contacted an employee at the electric company to inquire about “repairing the AC unit” at the restaurant, which is located at 2023 S Pine Avenue in Ocala.
The restaurant says that after the unit was inspected, an agent working on behalf of the electric company “stated that the unit was unrepairable and that a new unit was needed,” according to the complaint.
Ipanema says the employee took measurements and told the restaurant that his company had another “unit that was the correct size” to replace the broken unit. The restaurant says the employee quoted a price of $23,000 and that it “wrote a check” for that amount.
“Said check was cashed by the defendant,” reads the complaint.
On July 18, 2023, the electric company allegedly sent the unit to the restaurant for installation, but was unable to install it as “the unit was not the correct size,” according to the complaint.
The restaurant claims that it returned the A/C unit to Miami Electric, but that the electric company “has refused to return the $23,000.”
Ipanema is seeking “greater than $10,000, but less than $50,000,” exclusive of attorneys fees, costs, and interest.