ST. CROIX — A St. Thomas construction worker has filed suit against the company that operates the Skyride to Paradise Point, accusing it of what the lawsuit describes as a scheme to intentionally hire unlicensed laborers to get work done cheaply and then avoid full payment.
Francisco Mejia Villa claims that Tramway Properties Inc. and company officer Ronald Turner hired him for two major construction projects while knowing he was not a licensed contractor and later used that vulnerability to underpay or withhold compensation.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Superior Court by attorney Robert Leycock, alleges the company has a history of hiring unlicensed contractors at substandard rates without written contract; while creating a regulatory vulnerability it could exploit as leverage when payment becomes due. According to the complaint, Mejia Villa was not the only unlicensed contractor employed by Tramway to perform construction and other work at its business premises at what it describes as “bargain basement rates.”
The complaint further alleges the company deliberately selected Mejia Villa for exploitation because of his unlicensed status and limited English proficiency. By retaining an unlicensed contractor and forgoing any written agreement, the lawsuit alleges Tramway sought to obtain construction services at rates below those charged by licensed contractors, maintain plausible deniability regarding regulatory violations, and preserve leverage at the time of payment, knowing unlicensed workers may be reluctant to pursue legal remedies.
The plaintiff also claims that by suppressing construction costs through this alleged scheme, Tramway compounded the financial benefit it receives as a beneficiary of the Economic Development Commission’s tax incentive program—effectively saving money on both taxes and labor at the expense of vulnerable contractors like Mejia Villa. The complaint alleges the company did not execute written contracts for either project and contends this was done to avoid a paper trail, obscure below-market rates, and leave Mejia Villa without clear proof of the agreed price.
Skyride to Paradise Point is a scenic aerial tram directly across from Havensight Mall that offers panoramic views 700 feet above the harbor.
According to the lawsuit, Mejia Villa began work on a 147-square foot parking structure in February 2025 and spent roughly seven months on the job, performing dangerous work on rocky, uneven, and unpaved ground at one of the highest points on St. Thomas. Photos attached to the complaint show scaffolding, metal rebars, and concrete columns with Veterans Drive visible in the background.
Things became more complicated midway through the project.
According to the complaint, the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources halted construction in August 2025 because proper building permits had never been obtained. The lawsuit alleges Tramway then provided the name of a licensed contractor to secure the permits and resume the project.
Mejia Villa, who continued the work, alleges he was promised payment based on a per-yard rate but, when the project concluded around September 11, 2025, he was paid less than agreed and told to “leave it like that,” without explanation for the reduction.
Rather than resolving the dispute, the company hired him again the following month to construct concrete stairs connecting the parking structure to Prime Restaurant, the lawsuit claims.
Mejia Villa says he completed that work in April but has not been paid. When he requested payment, the company allegedly conditioned it on his removal of unrelated construction debris — a requirement his attorney says was never part of the agreement.
“This after-the-fact condition had no basis in the represented scope of work and was imposed as a further mechanism to delay, reduce, or deny earned compensation,” the suit states.
Mejia Villa is seeking compensation for unpaid work, the fair market value of his labor, emotional distress, and punitive damages. The lawsuit does not specify a dollar amount, stating damages will be determined at trial.
As of the filing, neither Tramway Properties nor Turner had publicly responded to the allegations. Judge Pedro Williams has been assigned the case.
