Risky Business! Tom Cruise’s $9.58M Scientology penthouse was slapped with $770,000 in liens for unpaid work, years after its $3M makeover

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A Daily Mail investigation found that Tom Cruise spent millions renovating his high-end Scientology penthouse, but several contractors reported difficulties getting paid for their work, even after completing it.

Starting in 2018, the 63-year-old actor invested about $3 million renovating his large duplex in Clearwater, Florida, with luxurious custom-made features and high-quality finishes.

In 2017, Tom Cruise bought a luxurious home spanning the ninth and tenth floors of the SkyView building in downtown for $9.58 million. This purchase followed his sale of several properties in New York, the Hollywood Hills, and Beverly Hills in previous years.

However, the ambitious project was plagued by frequent payment problems, leading contractors to sue in order to get paid.

According to Darren K. Proulx, a financing advisor at Real Estate Bees, companies that supply materials or perform work on a property project have the legal right to place a lien on it.

Proulx explains that nearly all states have laws letting unpaid contractors and suppliers file a Mechanic’s Lien. This legal claim can eventually lead to a property being sold to cover the money owed to them.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m always keeping an eye on what’s happening with high-profile properties, and it’s come to my attention that Tom Cruise recently had some issues with unpaid bills on his building. Apparently, several contractors filed liens – essentially legal claims – against his penthouse and another unit, adding up to a significant amount of money – hundreds of thousands of dollars, in fact. It sounds like things have been sorted out, but it was a bit of a headache for him for a while!

Although most disagreements were settled, a lien for a substantial paint job—worth over $100,000—is still unresolved.

Records indicate that Five Arrows Inc., a company based in Tampa, filed a claim against the property to recover $44,240. This amount is owed for painting work they completed in January 2021, which cost a total of $261,326.

The lien is yet to be resolved, according to Pinellas County public records.

Okay, so I’ve been following all these home renovation things, and I’ve learned that sometimes, if a contractor and homeowner disagree about the quality of the work, the homeowner might refuse to pay. But here’s the thing – it doesn’t automatically mean the homeowner is being difficult or just slow to pay! The contractor might actually file something called a ‘lien’ – it’s like a legal claim against the property – but it doesn’t necessarily mean the homeowner did anything wrong. It’s just… complicated! I’ve been reading up on this a lot, and it’s so interesting how it all works.

This suggests the work done by the contractor wasn’t up to professional standards, and the homeowner is therefore refusing to pay for it.

Usually, these situations are resolved through a negotiated agreement. However, that hasn’t happened here – the lien remains, and this could create problems for Cruise if they ever decide to sell the apartment.

Tom Cruise and his company, Five Arrows, both owned by The Valcourt Group, did not reply when asked for a statement by the Daily Mail.

Tom Cruise’s lavish condo features a rooftop terrace with a sunroom, an infinity hot tub, a pool, and a bar. It’s conveniently located just a short walk from the Flag Building, the headquarters of the Church of Scientology.

Once the house was finished in 2018, he hired several top contractors to design and install its custom interior features.

From 2018 to 2020, Mortensen Woodwork Inc. of Atlanta and Craftsmanship Installations Inc. earned over $1.5 million and $416,650 respectively for their work.

Mortensen Woodwork creates unique, custom interiors – everything from furniture and cabinets to shelving and marble floors. They’ve completed notable projects like the Coca-Cola headquarters and the Mercedes-Benz Arena for the Atlanta Falcons.

Craftsmanship Installations does similar work and handled the interior woodwork at Bank of America’s headquarters in Charlotte.

Cruise still owes money to two companies: $508,021 to Mortensen and $41,065 to Craftsmanship Installations. They haven’t been paid in full.

Mortensen Woodwork finished a $250,000 project last year, but so far has only received $150,000 for it.

In each of these cases, the companies had to file legal claims against the property to ensure they were paid. Once the bills were paid, those claims were removed.

Several other companies, like Tab Glass and Window Corp and A and A Clean Up Inc, also did work on the property. They later filed legal claims to recover unpaid invoices.

The glass company completed $299,422 worth of work but was only paid $63,725. As a result, they filed a lien in February 2021, which was later resolved three months later.

A and A Clean Up Inc, a company focused on post-construction cleaning, billed a total of $51,400, but $11,830 remained outstanding until April 2021.

The renovations on the house cost over $2.8 million, completed by six different contractors. Of that amount, $768,881 wasn’t paid until legal claims were filed, and $44,240 remains unpaid as of today.

The SkyView building is home to many affluent members of the Church of Scientology, including the sisters of actor Tom Cruise – Lee Ann, Cass, and Marian Mapother.

Okay, so I’ve been digging, and you will NOT believe where Bob Duggan – yes, the Bob Duggan, the pharma guy – is registered to live! It’s this insane apartment, and get this – he owns the entire sixth floor of the building! Seriously, the whole thing! It’s worth $3.8 million! I mean, can you even imagine having that much space? It’s just…wow. I need to see pictures, immediately!

Although the building boasts beautiful interiors, it has faced criticism for its unremarkable exterior and its location in downtown Clearwater. This area is heavily influenced by the Church of Scientology, with many properties owned by the church, and tends to be avoided by those who aren’t members.

Back in 2017, before any renovations were done, photos of the stunning penthouse quickly spread online after Clay Irwin, a former bar owner in Clearwater, posted a first glimpse of the interior on social media.

Irwin was remarkably let into the half-built condo by a construction worker at the time.

He described the building’s exterior as simple and unattractive, saying it reminded him of a jail.

He filmed himself exploring the inside of Cruise’s penthouse, walking around and even going onto the roof with his dog, Bruno.

Once he was inside, Irwin’s excitement grew. He exclaimed, “Get ready to be amazed – this place is incredible!”

As the camera focuses on Tom Cruise’s pool, with its stunning view of Clearwater Harbor, Irwin exclaims, “Wow, that’s an incredible infinity pool!”

Next, he tours the living areas, and in the background, you can see the Scientology headquarters. Irwin exclaims, “This isn’t just an apartment, it’s like a museum!”

Irwin famously told viewers a funny story about his dog having an accident on Tom Cruise’s private jet, joking, ‘That’s the first dog to pee in Cruise’s plane!’

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2026-03-27 18:07