by Michele Gillis
Staff Writer
Sometimes it takes a tragic event to make us take a closer at our lives and make changes to improve it. In real estate attorney Rod Schloth’s case, getting hit by a truck - literally - was his wake-up call.
Schloth had been participating in running, biking and triathlon events since the early 1990’s. Two years ago, he was hit by a pickup truck while riding his bike as he prepared for his fifth MS 150.
His injuries included a collapsed lung, six broken ribs, a shattered shoulder blade, and a concussion. There also was nerve damage and road rash that required surgery.
He was lucky to live: he spent 10 days in in Shands hospital’s intensive care ward, including eight days on life support. He spent 24 days in the hospital.
“This was a ‘life is too short’ moment, but it came in conjunction with the ‘life goes on’ attitude I have lived with since my daughter passed away in 1996,” said Schloth. “I’m trying to continue to do the right things in my life for the benefit of my family and friends.”
Though he had worked with attorney Keith Watson for 12 years, Schloth took a look at his current job situation at Watson, Dykes & Schloth P.A. and decided it was time to break out on his own and open The Law Offices of Rod Schloth, P.A. in Jacksonville Beach on July 1. He has a second office on Jacksonville’s southside.
“It’s definitely been a journey,” he said.
His firm focuses on real estate closings and transactions, wills and probate and any real estate law needs.
Schloth said he is seeing a lot of short sales and other crazy stuff he hadn’t seen before.
“It’s all more intense so we are here to help if needed,” he said. “Realtors are very important to us because they pretty much bring us the bulk of our business. That is why we base our business model on service and typically that is service to the Realtors.”
Schloth’s is at 2187 S. Third Street in Jacksonville Beach. If you leave the Office Depot shopping center on Third Street, you can’t help but see the large lettering on the building displaying his name.
“I knew I wanted to make it as big as I can and you can actually read my name,” he said. “I’ve had so many people stopping in to see me. I’ve had people who I went with to Bishop Kenny High School stop in saying ‘I only know one Rod Schloth. I knew it had to be you’. It’s been kind of fun.”
Schloth grew up in Jacksonville, went to Jacksonville University on a theater scholarship and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management with a minor in theater.
After graduation, he moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. But he made a decision going in: he would give it three years - that’s the life span of LSAT scores - and, if acting wasn’t working out, he would go to law school.
Broadway’s lights didn’t shine on him, so he returned to school and earned a law degree from Stetson in 1989.
He worked in the Tampa area at a law firm for two years doing insurance defense. Then he worked for a personal injury firm in Clearwater and moved back to Jacksonville when the firm wanted to open an office here.
Later, he decided personal injury work was not his style, so he went to work for Watson & Osborne in 1999 doing real estate closings and transactions.
Now, he’s on his own.