KlaymanToskes files $500,000 FINRA claim over EcoVest investments

KlaymanToskes filed a $500,000 FINRA arbitration claim against United Planners over losses tied to an EcoVest conservation easement and other alternative investments recommended by broker Aaron Sevigny. The case alleges retirement savings were steered into risky, illiquid products and that tax-related damages followed when the IRS challenged the deduction.

Why it matters: - The claim centers on retirement savings allegedly pushed into complex alternative investments that were not aligned with the customers’ stated goals. - The filing also raises the prospect of tax liabilities, penalties, interest and professional fees tied to a challenged conservation easement deduction. - Investors with losses in EcoVest, GPB Capital, CMCT, oil and gas programs or similar products may have recovery claims.

What happened: - KlaymanToskes filed a $500,000 FINRA arbitration claim against United Planners’ Financial Services of America on behalf of a married couple. - The case is FINRA Case No. 26-02134. - The claim involves financial advisor Aaron Sevigny, who is based in Bonita Springs, Florida and has been registered with United Planners since 2006. - KlaymanToskes said it also represents multiple Sevigny customers in related claims involving EcoVest syndicated conservation easements and other alternative investments.

The details: - The investors allegedly moved a substantial portion of their retirement savings to United Planners after saying they wanted a portfolio designed for retirement. - The couple allegedly had no prior experience with alternative investments and did not want a speculative or aggressive strategy. - The claim says Sevigny concentrated their assets in complex and illiquid products, including oil and gas programs, GPB Capital, CMCT, Hospitality, Braemar and the EcoVest-sponsored Cypress Cove Marina syndicated conservation easement. - The claim alleges the investors’ financial information was falsified or inflated without their knowledge to make them qualify for investments requiring accredited or qualified investor status. - The investors say Sevigny repeatedly assured them for nearly a decade that the EcoVest investment was sound and would withstand IRS scrutiny, even after one investment filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. - The Cypress Cove Marina conservation easement was allegedly marketed as a tax-advantaged investment that would produce a charitable contribution deduction worth about four times the amount invested. - The investors later learned the IRS was challenging the deduction. - The claim says the challenge could expose the investors to additional taxes, penalties, statutory interest and professional expenses. - The claim alleges United Planners failed to adequately investigate or disclose valuation, tax, audit, penalty, liquidity, concentration and regulatory risks. - KlaymanToskes says the investors suffered about $500,000 in damages, including alternative investment losses, tax-related liabilities, professional expenses and lost investment opportunity. - As of October 6, 2026, Sevigny’s BrokerCheck report disclosed nine customer disputes, with six pending and three final matters. - All nine disputes listed the product type as alternative investments. - KlaymanToskes can be reached at 888-997-9956 or investigations@klaymantoskes.com for a free and confidential consultation.

Between the lines: - The filing reflects a broader pattern of complaints tied to alternative investments that can combine sales-practice risk with tax consequences. - The case also shows how conservation easement products can create disputes long after the original recommendation, especially when IRS scrutiny follows. - The customer-dispute history in BrokerCheck may add pressure as regulators and arbitrators assess whether the recommendations matched the investors’ stated objectives and risk tolerance.

What's next: - FINRA arbitration will determine whether United Planners bears responsibility for the alleged losses and tax-related damages. - Investors with losses tied to Sevigny-recommended investments are being encouraged to seek a review of their claims and recovery options. - The outcome could influence other pending customer disputes involving similar alternative investment products.

The bottom line: - KlaymanToskes is pressing a FINRA case that links a retirement-focused recommendation to alleged losses in risky alternative investments and a disputed EcoVest tax deduction.