Support Abby & Erich Jaeger's Legal Fight for Justice

Hi, we're Abby and Erich Jaeger — a husband-and-wife team, parents, and proud owners of a small, independent marine salvage and demolition business in Florida.

Nearly five years ago, in the middle of a global pandemic, my husband and I were wrongfully terminated and our franchise, Sea Tow Tampa Bay, was completely shut down by our franchisor, Sea Tow Services International. Then, just a few days later, Sea Tow launched what would turn into a multi-million dollar lawsuit against us.

Sea Tow claimed they terminated us for conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud. But what actually happened: we NEVER filed for bankruptcy — my mother-in-law, the previous owner of Sea Tow Tampa Bay, did. As the new owners, we were required by law to cooperate with her court-appointed bankruptcy trustee. That’s not a crime — that’s following the law. There was no fraud, no conspiracy, and no bankruptcy filing on our part. Using her legal bankruptcy as an excuse to terminate our franchise was not just unfair — it was misleading and legally unjustified.

A federal judge agreed. She dismissed the majority of Sea Tow’s claims against us — including the bankruptcy fraud allegation — and confirmed that our termination was wrongful. She also allowed our counterclaims against Sea Tow to move forward, meaning the court sees merit in our case.

For every victory we achieve in federal court, Sea Tow amends their complaint, changes their story, and drags us back into the fight — costing us time and money we simply don’t have.

In March 2025, Sea Tow launched a new lawsuit against us in the STATE of New York, claiming their damages are $14 million.

We believe the truth will prevail. We’ve done nothing wrong. We’ve told the truth, stood by our principles, and worked tirelessly to provide for our kids. We won’t give up!

To date, our legal fees have soared to an astounding $3 million — and continue to rise.