Is PB Companies rebranding following Petetit’s arrest?

December 14, 2015
John Belsher and Ryan Petetit

John Belsher and Ryan Petetit

By KAREN VELIE

PB Companies, a business marred by allegations of financial mismanagement and criminal actions against a principal owner, appears to be attempting to change its image and its name.

Since its inception in 2012, PB Company partners John Belsher and Ryan Petetit have been in court over multiple financial controversies because of failures to pay contractors and for not following building code regulations. In addition, Petetit has been charged with five felonies and six misdemeanors for issues such as assault, writing bad checks and drunk in public.

In the past few weeks, since Petetit’s latest arrest for assault, the company erased its website and its Facebook page. In addition, multiple employees have scrubbed their affiliation with PB Companies from their LinkedIn pages.

Calls to PB Companies phone lines are picked up by a receptionist who answers, “Central Coast Developers.” When asked if PB Companies is closing or changing its name, the receptionist said she was not permitted to answer that question.

However, affiliates of the company said they are not going out of business, they are just getting rid of the PB Company name.

PB Companies is a private finance and investment firm which “creates investment solutions and equity plays in the real estate and business world,” according to its former website. Belsher and Petetit have secured money from banks, hard money lenders and private investors to fund their proposed developments, according to county records

PB Companies is involved in more than a dozen proposed projects including a 26 unit housing development in Templeton dubbed Oak Knoll Creek and a large mixed use development on Tank Farm Road in San Luis Obispo.

Oak Knoll Creek was formally known as Toad Creek. Several subcontractors who worked on the Toad Creek development said they have not been fully paid and question if the company’s habit of changing project names is to hide from claims of nonpayment.

In the past few years, multiple lenders have filed foreclosures notices on PB Company properties including Toad Creek while former contractors have utilized the courts to collect their debts.

In October, the court heard an appeal by Belsher of a small claims case in which a web designer was awarded approximately $6,200. The designer had filed and won a claim against PB Companies for breach of contract after the company failed to pay him for developing its website and designing several logos for the company.

Belsher argued that the work was inadequate. In the end, the judge awarded the designer $4,570.

However, PB Companies failed to pay the judgment. Last week, the designer filed a notice to get a bank lien against PB Companies.


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Fire Adam Hill in 2016. For information on how you can help go to http://www.FireAdamHill.com


John Belsher has not been accused of wrongdoing anywhere other than here at CCN. How is it that someone can be a generous, kind, respected individual for 40+ years and suddenly, because of one unfortunate association he is the scum of the earth? How many people who are posting here have control over the actions of their friends, associates or family members? How many of you are suddenly different people because an associate has done something wrong? Abusers are in every social circle, most of us probably know someone who is an abuser and have no clue as to their true nature. There are many unsubstantiated claims in this article, for instance to-date the PB staff members have not removed their PB affiliations from LinkedIn. Have any of you checked? This leads me to wonder what other inaccuracies are in this article.


His business partner is a douche bag who beat the shit out of his girlfriend. Why would you ever defend a business as shady as this? He is guilty by association. Besides, the whole company has shown blatant disregard for business and community ethics. Let that “SLOwly Res” on your brain for a minute.


Belsher knew about Petetit’s wrongdoings and still chose to do business with him despite warnings from his peers.


Birds of a feather flock together. Why do you think the FBI is combing through every associate of the recent terrorists.


Belsher may not have broken any laws, but his legacy to the community will be tearing down Foster’s Freeze and replacing it with one of his crappy cookie cutter developments.


Ever heard of the saying “birds of a feather flock together?”


Look at the long line of developers in slo county who blew up their clients money. Our unique real estate market can mask fraud and incompetence for a while, but these guys often build a giant Jenga puzzle and as soon as the wrong piece is pulled…


and all along those in government get their kickbacks, I mean campaign donations and when the Jenga collapses they are never hit by the fallout, at worse they just “retire” pension in hand and move on to another area.


What about the good doc who is business with them also? Stehulla?


Russell Sheppel is who you’re referring to I believe.


Ouch! I stand corrected!


Can’t rebrand character.


Hope the voters of District 3 don’t develop a serious case of amnesia come election time.


The problem is that District 3 has changed as San Luis Obispo County natives have moved out due to retirement or career opportunities (best jobs here are government or PG&E). The district always included half of SLO City which provided a liberal slant. But more left wing transplants like Adam Hill have moved into the district and brought their “Progessive” ideas with them. Hill is running as a liberal, giving speeches at mosques against Donald Trump in the hopesthat people forget his awful record.


Sad but true.

Shouldn’t matter if he’s a D or an R,

what should matter most is that he’s a C..R…O…O…K.


I agree and I don’t know how the hell Adam Hill easily beat Ed Waage in 2012. When Hill beat Lenthall in 2008, no one knew who he was and he seemed reasonable with his smart growth policies. But Hill was a known lunatic who spouted strange things when he was off his meds by 2012. Yet he still beat Waage.


The other issue is that the anti-Hill vote must not be split between Carpenter and Peterson. This is a real issue, since Carpenter’s base is in SLO and Peterson is from the South County. A united front is needed and the weaker of the two candidates between Carpenter and Peterson should drop out and endorse the other.


It will take the right strategy to Fire Adam Hill in 2016. More to come.


Yes, this is a must.


There is no “vote split”. See below.


There is no “vote split”. There is a primary election in June. The top two go to November unless one candidate gets 50% + 1 in June.


I won’t and I’m doing my level best to make sure my neighbors won’t either.


Hey Wagstaffe? Why don’t you sue CCN for talking smack about your brethren from Team Adam Hill, Petetit? Smashing her head through a window? That’s defamation isn’t it? You went to bat pro bono for Adam and Aaron Ochs, pro bono for Adam and Charles Tenborg, why not pro bono for Adam and Petetit? Come on brother, one more for the team?


Dump Adam “Conflict Of Interest” Hill in 2016.


Can’t wait till you go to prison – you will get yours in there.


Without a doubt Belsher taught Petetit. We see Belsher’s true colors. It only took 40 years for the truth to come out and the bodies that were buried will all come out John. This article paints you out to be a crook, a simple conman ripping people off.


Easy wineguyjc, you are bordering on defamation here. John Belsher has not committed any crimes, is not a crook as you suggest and gives more than most to this community. He has decided to break from his partner due to Mr. Petitit’s personal and legal issues. This does not make Mr. Belsher a criminal. There are numerous cases of partnerships that have ended due to a partner’s problems–this does not condemn the other partner. Let’s show a little kindness here. I have known Mr. Belsher for many years and he is a respected, giving, kind, man who has served on many non-profit boards and donated to numerous local organizations–including helping the homeless. Before you try to assassinate someone’s character, you may want to think about what you are creating in this community. It’s simply not nice and not true.


Kindness,

Where did you see that they are ending partnership? I didn’t get that from Belsher’s comment in the Tribune or this article. Perhaps I missed something.


Kindness, let me guess – John supports you.


Hitler gave to charities, Scott Peterson gave to Charities, Son of Sam donated time for ten years to various community events and a little closer to home – Developer – philanthropist Kelly Gearheart gave to charities left and right in this community for decades. However, at the same time these same scumbags stole, embezzled, murdered and raped individuals and society. Generous people who lure small boys into the inner circle are often later discovered to be child molesters.


Point is, your position has no merit. Has John righted the financial wrongs of his company – the answer is no. Instead John plays little games with contractors and sub-consultants, then gets sued and acts like he doesn’t know how court room proceedings work. Then after judgments are levied against him, he fails to pay, then the victims end up levying financial accounts. But, guess what, those accounts are now closed…. Now that sounds like the actions of a honest business person, a true civic minded member of our community.