Former University of Arkansas punter Matt Wait is moving on from his Fayetteville home that was once the focal point of a brief but convoluted legal tale.
Wait sold his 4,120-SF home on Jean Lane in the posh Clear Creek subdivision for $1.1 million to a Louisiana businessman who plans to move to Fayetteville.
If you’re not a sports fan, Wait’s name might still ring a bell.
Back in 2016, Wait was sued for $10,000 by his neighbor, orthodontist Ben Burris, for allegedly causing damage to Burris’ property from pipe and fence work.
Burris, who now lives in Florida, is facing 14 federal counts of honest services wire fraud and one count of conspiracy for allegedly bribing former state Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, who was Burris’ attorney in the lawsuit against Wait.
Hutchinson, a nephew of Gov. Asa Hutchinson, has already admitted his guilt. His sentencing, however, has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Part of Jeremy Hutchinson’s plea agreement in 2019 detailed how an unnamed Fayetteville orthodontist paid him a monthly $5,000 retainer and then pressured him about the “plumber deal” — a reference to the Wait lawsuit.
Wait, a territory manager of the medical device firm Abbott, countersued, and the suits were eventually dropped when Burris agreed to pay for the repairs to his property and Wait said he agreed to let him.
Wait now believes the lawsuit was filed for no other reason than Burris was already paying Hutchinson.
“Jeremy asked if I was going to use a lawyer, and I said I didn’t need one because I was 100% right,” Wait said in a call to Whispers.
When Wait’s real estate agent was showing the house, several potential buyers asked about plumbing problems.
Wait said he assumes the home shoppers saw his sports memorabilia — he played for the Razorbacks from 1994-97 — and then Googled his name and found news of the lawsuit in Arkansas Business.
Wait said he didn’t disclose any plumbing problems because his house never had any.
“Long story short, there never was a problem with my plumbing,” Wait said, before describing Burris in, ahem, unflattering terms.
The new owner is Charles Dawson, the owner and CEO of GeoSurfaces in Baton Rouge, a prolific installer of artificial playing surfaces for high school, college and professional sports teams.
Dawson is an Arkansas native. He was born in Magnolia and is the brother of former Arkansas high school coach Billy Dawson, who won three state football championships at Nashville and another one at Russellville.
Charles Dawson will keep Wait as a neighbor. Wait bought the 1-acre lot next to his former home and plans to build on it.
And Burris is scheduled for trial before U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks in Fayetteville beginning June 21.
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