Wayne D. Callwood v. Government of the Virgin Islands Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs and Virgin Islands Board of Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors

CourtSuperior Court of The Virgin Islands
DecidedMay 8, 2026
DocketST-2026-CV-00033
StatusUnpublished

This text of Wayne D. Callwood v. Government of the Virgin Islands Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs and Virgin Islands Board of Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors (Wayne D. Callwood v. Government of the Virgin Islands Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs and Virgin Islands Board of Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of The Virgin Islands primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wayne D. Callwood v. Government of the Virgin Islands Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs and Virgin Islands Board of Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors, (visuper 2026).

Opinion

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS DIVISION OF ST. THOMAS AND ST. JOHN

WAYNE D. CALLWOOD ) CASE NO. ST-2026-CV-00033 ) Petitioner. ) PETITION FOR WRIT OF REVIEW ) vs ) ) GOVERNMENT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS _) DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND ) CONSUMER AFFAIRS and VIRGIN ISLANDS ) BOARD OF ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS & _) LAND SURVEYORS ) ) Respondents )

Cite as 2026 VI SUPER 20U

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

jl Pending before this Court are

I. Petitioner’s Petition for Writ of Review, filed January 26, 2026;

2. Petitioner’s Brief, filed March 16, 2026; and

3. Respondents’ Brief, filed April 28, 2026

For the reasons set forth below, the Virgin Islands Board of Architects, Engineers & Land Surveyors’ Order of January 15, 2026, will be affirmed as it pertains to Petitioner Wayne D Callwood

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

q2 Petitioner Wayne D. Callwood (“Callwood”) seeks judicial review of the Government of the Virgin Islands Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs and Virgin Islands Board of Architects, Engineers & Land Surveyors’ (the “Board” or, collectively, “Respondents”) Memorandum of Opinion, Findings of Facts, Conclusions of Law, and Decision and Order, issued on or about January 15, 2026, in Lawrence Best v. Wayne D. Callwood and Francisco A. Nadal Case No. BC-2687-23 (Administrative Complaint No. 2687), 27 V.LC. § 288 Action for Revocation

43 On or about May 5, 2023, Lawrence Best filed a complaint with the Board against Callwood and Francisco A. Nadal (“Nadal”), entitled Complaint No. 2687/CPS Case No. 2023 Calbvood v, Govt of the VI Department of Licensing & Consumer Affairs et al. 2026 VI Super 20U Case No. ST-2026-CV-00033 Memorandum Opinion and Order Page 2 of 10

05-007, and the Board held a hearing in response, which occurred on April 11, 2025, and was continued to June 27, 2025. As stated in its Memorandum of Opinion

The complaint alleged that Respondent Callwood was contracted to produce a recorded survey, but the final survey bore the stamp of Respondent Nadal, a different surveyor. The core allegation is that Respondent Nadal did not prepare the survey, and that Respondent Callwood, acting as a Public Surveyor, fraudulently submitted and recorded the survey under Respondent Nadal’s professional stamp, thereby committing potential fraud and misrepresentation.'

The Board stated that

The Board heard testimony from Respondent Callwood, who testified that he works at the Lieutenant Governor’s Office as the Public Surveyor and he has degrees in civil engineering and surveying. With respect to Parcel 13Ba-3 Respondent admitted that it was a survey done bm [sic}; that the initials cc are his initials and it meant that the survey was checked by him and that the seal was Respondent Nadal’s seal. When asked if he placed the seal on the survey, Respondent Callwood responded that it was a computer-generated seal that goes on all surveys and that it was placed there by him. Respondent Callwood testified that both he and Respondent Nadal jointly did the survey of Parcel 13Ba-3. Respondent Callwood testified that Respondent Nadal has two seals; one for surveying and one for when he’s doing his personal engineering work.”

As a result of the hearing,’ the Board stated that

Additionally, Respondent Nadal testified that he had not been to the site known as Parcel 13Ba-3; that he had not been to Cadastral to look at the map for Estate Hard Labor; was not aware of the make and model of the satellite location system used; did not know the accuracy rate of the satellite information system used; did not review Respondent Callwood’s field notes; and did not have photographs or other documentary evidence of bound posts found by Respondent Callwood 4

The Board stated: “Nadal also testified that he did not prepare surveys for Carolina Parcel 8-4-14 1, or 126A or 126B Estate Chocolate Hole.” The Board wrote that “Respondent Nadal testified that Respondent Callwood does the surveying work (all of the field work) and he does the engineering part and signs.” Notably, the Board found that

' Certified R. of Admin. Proc., DLCA000001 ? Certified R. of Admin. Proc., DLCA000003 3 The Board also heard testimony that at least one survey completed by Callwood had alleged inaccuracies, but “the Board was not in a position to discuss the accuracy of any survey.” DLCA000002 4 Certified R. of Admin. Proc., DLCA000003 5 Certified R. of Admin. Proc., DLCA000003 ° Certified R. of Admin. Proc., DLCA000004 Callwood v. Govt of the VI Department of Licensing & Consumer Affairs et al. 2026 VI Super 20U Case No. ST-2026-CV-00033 Memorandum Opinion and Order Page 3 of 10

Specifically, Respondent Nadal permitted his professional seal to be used by Respondent Callwood on surveys intended for official recording. Although Respondent Callwood held the necessary license to prepare such surveys, he was required by law and professional standards to affix his own signature and seal to each survey prior to filing. However, as the Public Surveyor, Respondent Callwood faced a clear conflict of interest in signing and sealing the surveys himself. To circumvent this ethical and legal requirement, he instead used Respondent Nadal’s seal—either with or without Nadal’s explicit knowledge

Nevertheless, Respondent Nadal was aware of this misuse. He admitted to knowledge of Respondent Callwood’s actions in his response to Mr. Wisehart and further evidenced this awareness by allowing Respondent Callwood to review his draft response to the Complaint. Additionally, Respondent Nadal admitted that he had not visited the sites for the surveys completed by Respondent Callwood, further underscoring his lack of professional oversight and direct involvement.’

q4 The Board found that Callwood (and Nadal) “violated 27 VIC § 286(b) by Respondent Nadal allowing Respondent Callwood to use Respondent Nadal’s Professional Engineer stamp on surveys that Respondent Nadal had not reviewed or supervised in any way.”® The Board found Callwood “[g]uilty of engaging in activities constituting misconduct in the practice of engineering and that he “failed to maintain the integrity and high standards of skill and practice of engineering profession.”

q5 On or about January 15, 2026, the Board ordered, inter alia, that: Callwood’s professional license suspended immediately for a period of six (6) months; Callwood take an eight (8) hour ethics course prior to the end of the suspension period; and Callwood must serve a one (1) year probationary period after the six (6) month suspension period has been lifted. On January 26, 2026, Callwood, pro se, filed before this Court the Petition for Writ of Review. Subsequently, in March and April of 2026, Callwood and Respondents filed their respective briefs. Callwood seeks to have this Court vacate the Board’s ruling and remand with instructions to dismiss the case against him and restore his license, and Respondents seek to have this Court affirm the Board’s ruling

Il. LEGAL STANDARD

46 This Court, when evaluating a writ of review, has the “power to affirm, modify, reverse, or annul the decision or determination reviewed, and, if necessary, to award restitution to the plaintiff, or, by mandate, direct the officer, board, commission, authority, or tribunal to proceed in the matter reviewed according to its decision.”'° “Upon each appeal all findings, decisions, or determinations by the Board as to questions of fact shall be deemed final in the absence of conclusive showing to the Court of fraud or arbitrariness.”'' However, the Court will exercise plenary review concerning

? CertifiedR. of Admin. Proc., DLCA000005 8 Certified R. of Admin. Proc., DLCA000001 ° Certified R. of Admin.

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Bluebook (online)
Wayne D. Callwood v. Government of the Virgin Islands Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs and Virgin Islands Board of Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wayne-d-callwood-v-government-of-the-virgin-islands-department-of-visuper-2026.