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Clearwater firm sues Vinny Testaverde over unpaid ad bill for auction of his Odessa estate

 
The home of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarter back Vinny Testaverde is back on the market.  (Courtesy of Firelight Images)
The home of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarter back Vinny Testaverde is back on the market. (Courtesy of Firelight Images)
Published July 18, 2019

ODESSA — Vinny Testaverde just can't get a break with his house.

After the lakefront mansion failed to sell by conventional means, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback tried to auction it off in April. That didn't produce a buyer — but now it's produced a lawsuit from a Clearwater advertising firm that claims Testaverde owes it $10,639.

In a recent suit filed in Pinellas County, Tam Advertising says Testaverde and wife Mitzi knew about advertising costs associated with the auction and "never rejected or objected'' to them although have yet to pay the bill. An attached invoice lists the costs, which included $5,684 in newspaper and magazine ads; a total of $700 for harpists that played at a preview and on auction day; $438 in Facebook promotions and $400 for two security guards.

READ MORE: Take a look inside the mansion ex-Buccaneers player Vinny Testaverde just can't sell

The Testaverdes, who could not be reached for comment, have been trying to sell the nearly 13,000-square-foot house on Lake Keystone since 2017. After the auction failed, the house went back on the market and is now listed at $3.95 million.

Contact Susan Taylor Martin at smartin@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8642. Follow @susanskate.