Roofer charged with fraud in Michigan

Kenneth Bird, a Wyoming-based roofing contractor has recently been charged in Michigan for fraud after he failed to complete roofing work he had already been paid for and refused to return the money. Christopher and Beth Chappus’s new roof was going to cost 12,250 dollars. Bird told the couple he would need half of that amount up front in order to cover the cost of materials he would need to complete the roof. The couple wrote him a check for 6,125 which he promptly cashed. That was in June, the project was to start July 4th. That date was moved back to July 21st and then September 25th. Ultimately, the work was never done and their money was never returned. Kenneth Bird now faces criminal charges. If convicted he may go to jail for up to three years. According to Bird, he is owed over 100,000 for work that still hasn’t been paid for. He is waiting to receive this money before he can refund the Chappuses and other homeowners.

While cases such as this one aren’t typical, they do happen more often than you might think. If you’re currently looking for a roofing contractor to do some work on your home, here are some things to keep in mind in order to protect yourself.

Check with the BBB

The Better Business Bureau keeps a record of complaints against businesses. Businesses that have a large number of unresolved complaints on their record probably aren’t a safe choice. When a large number of complaints are filed against a company in a short time, the BBB will often issue a warning about that business. It’s always a good idea to check with your local BBB to see what they have to say about a roofing company. While this is a good place to start, it’s not foolproof. Kenneth Bird’s roofing business had a great BBB rating when the Chappuses hired him.

No down payments

In the Chappus’s case, they were told they needed to pay half of the total cost of their new roof up front to cover materials. While this isn’t unheard of in the construction and roofing industries, it’s something to be wary about. Typically, reputable roofing companies will have enough capital to cover the cost of materials before the project begins. They won’t accept payment until the project has been completed to the satisfaction of the homeowner. As a general rule, don’t pay up front for roofing work.

Most roofing companies aren’t out to scam you. Unfortunately, there are a few out there that give the roofing industry a bad name. If you do your research first, you’ll hire a roofing contractor you can trust to do the job right.

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Source: mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/12/wyoming_roofing_contractor_sub.html