Discovery’s “American Chopper” is one of the most iconic TV series ever premiered, to the point that people still talk about the show’s stars several years after its cancellation. While it’s undeniable that the show initially attracted fans for the amazing bike customizations shown, it’s also true that many others loyally followed the show for the scandalous family dramas it featured.
With that being said, the scandals that the Teutuls have been through off-camera are as worthy of watching as those depicted on TV, especially in the case of Paul Sr. The family’s patriarch has been at the center of controversy for too many reasons, including financial and legal problems.
So what has Paul Teutul Sr. been up to these days and why was he found in contempt? What other scandals have occurred in recent times? What about his business? Keep with us to find out!
Why Was He Found In Contempt?
During the second half of the last decade, Paul Sr. had many financial and legal issues which didn’t do any good in keeping him away from controversy. One of his biggest scandals was being found in contempt in 2019 for failing to pay a debt to the business JTM Motorsports.
Back in mid-2018, Paul Sr. commissioned the New York City-based automotive shop to customize a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. It’s unclear which modifications Paul Sr. exactly requested from the shop, but the parts used in the car were worth $24,000 while labor costs were $27,000. As Paul Sr. failed to pay for the car in the first place – while dealing with his bankruptcy case at the same time – JTM Motorsports stored the car for months, amounting to $10,000 in extra costs.
Seeing Paul Sr’s inability to pay for the car they customized, JTM Motorsports became involved in his bankruptcy case, and made a deal with the reality star about releasing $30,000 out of an escrow to pay part of his debt. Though JTM agreed not to request the storage costs of the car, Paul Sr. didn’t comply with his part, and still failed to pay the rest of the money he owed, leading JTM to go to court again. This eventually resulted in Paul Sr. being found in contempt for $16,968.70 in June 2019.
Despite the many details going around Paul Sr’s legal cases, it’s unclear what the fate of the Corvette has been.
Bankruptcy Case
While being found in contempt by a court was a serious issue, that wasn’t the only financial and legal difficulty faced by Paul Sr. in recent years.
As it happened, Paul Sr filed for bankruptcy in early 2018, claiming inability to pay his multiple debts. According to reports, Paul Sr’s monthly income was $15,070.93 while his monthly living costs were over $12,000, meaning that he hadn’t enough money left to pay his creditors. He was also liable for $904,448 mortgage costs of his $1.8 million-worth mansion in the town of Montgomery, New York State. His other listed assets include his dogs, house appliances, and three cars.
With the cimminent foreclosure of his house, almost a million in debt, and his business producing just barely enough to afford him the lifestyle he was used to, Paul Sr. filed for Bankruptcy Chapter 13, which means that he would have the chance to save his house from foreclosure and make a plan to pay for his debts in the next few years. Nonetheless, in 2019 his case’s trustee claimed that Paul Sr. had neglected the case, and couldn’t pay his debts.
In the end, Paul Sr. was able to sell his Montgomery house and pay off his debts, but it was a complex case from beginning to end.
Lawsuits
Paul Teutul Sr. might have saved himself from facing strong legal consequences for not paying his debts, but that doesn’t mean that he didn’t face other issues along the way.
For a start, several months before filing for bankruptcy in 2018, Paul Sr was sued for fraud by a former business partner. According to documents, he and a man named Thomas Derbyshire were supposed to launch the show “Orange County Choppers: American Made” in 2015, with Derbyshire agreeing to pay $3 million for 51% of the project’s ownership.
However, Paul Sr allegedly broke the agreement by requesting a 50/50 deal, on top of breaking parts of his contract by purposely stalling production and entering into unauthorized side deals with third-parties, though Paul Sr’s lawyers denied any fault of their client in the case.
It’s unclear what happened to the fraud lawsuit, but it didn’t take long for Paul Sr. to see himself in court again. In 2020, he faced a lawsuit for copyright infringement, after he and his son Michael used a photographer’s work without authorization in merchandise for the show and business, and were ordered to pay $258,484.45 after being found guilty.
What Happened To His Business?
Following his long and exhausting record of legal and financial issues, Paul Teutul Sr. closed the iconic Orange County Choppers location that we got to know in “American Chopper” for years. The shop once located in Orange County officially closed its doors in March 2020, just a couple of months before the premiere of “American Chopper: The Last Ride”, which featured Paul Sr and Paul Jr working together for the first time in over a decade.
Said spin-off also focused on the closure of Orange County Choppers, as the demolition of its main building was getting close – building wasn’t demolished in the end, with the local news station 107.7 GNA reporting in early 2023 that the building had just been abandoned.
So, Paul Sr then opened a new business location in St. Petersburg, Florida, having found a business partner with whom he agreed to build a new customization shop, a restaurant, and a bike museum. Regarding his reasons for leaving old New York to establish himself in Florida, Paul Sr affirmed that the climate played a big role in his decision, and a less burden of taxation.
All in all, it seems that Paul Teutul Sr. is finally able to leave behind the many complex moments he lived in recent years to enjoy the warm East Coast with a new business, but don’t hold your breath……trouble may still follow him around!
