ORLANDO, Fla. — There's more pain for homeowners who picked a highly respected roofing contractor that suddenly shut down.
Action 9 found some owners who got new roofs, now have liens against their homes and they could even face foreclosure. Consumer investigator Todd Ulrich looks into a controversial law that threatens homeowners who did nothing wrong and must now pay for a contractor's bad practices.
“It's insanity. It really is,” Ricardo Delbrey said.
He feels betrayed by Jarrod Redding who operates Roof Army.
Delbrey paid $22,000 for a new roof months ago.
“Are you being forced to pay twice for your shingles?” Urich asked.
“I am, I am,” Delbrey replied.
After paying in full, he received an $8,000 lien against his home by the shingle supply company because Roof Army never paid its bill.
“Now I have a lien on my home, and I don't know what could happen,” Delbrey said.
Action 9 first exposed how the one-time respected company closed after customers claimed it collected big deposits for new roofs that were never installed.
Now, some customers who got roofs face liens because they say Roof Army stiffed suppliers.
“Do you feel double crossed?” Ulrich asked.
“Of course, I do, of Course,” said an Orlando man who got a $7,000 lien against his home. He paid for a new roof, but Roof Army didn’t pay for the shingles. “I feel I've been the victim of fraud,” he said.
These cases are possible because of a controversial state law. The Florida Construction Lien Law can be cruel. In some cases, homeowners have to pay twice for the same job because of the contractors bad business practices.
Delbrey never thought paying once the job was done could be risky.
“I will never trust anybody else again, ever, not with this law,” Delbrey said.
Homeowners are notified about the law, but it can be confusing and asking suppliers for waivers of lien can be tough.
Roof Army’s office appeared abandoned.
Ulrich went to the contractor's home but did not get a response.
Unless the company's customers pay twice, in the worst case, the supplier could foreclose on their homes.
“It's cruel. It's unfair. It really is,” Delbrey said.
Company owners had blamed unexpected setbacks they're working to correct.
If a contractor is working on your home, it’s good practice to ask the suppliers and subcontractors for waivers of lien before making final payments to the contractor.
Roof Army response:
To our community, we want to express a sincere apology to each and every client that has been affected by us in recent months. Unforeseen financial issues have funneled us in a direction that was never anticipated. This business has been a dream of mine since I was 8years old and have dedicated myself to providing great work for great people. Unfortunately, we have been unable to complete a number of jobs for clients that we promised we would, leaving our community very upset, rightfully so. Orlando is my home, I have lived here all my life and it has been my plan to raise my family here as well and that is why my wife and I want nothing more than make this right for our neighbors and community.
With that said, we are working around the clock to pay our clients back as well as meeting with local reputable roofing companies in hopes of honoring the contracts and commitments we have made. Just as I fought to build my dream business, I will fight to make right with each and every client that we have put in this position. I feel confident we will come up with a solution for each customer in the coming weeks and rectify this situation.
As we work towards correcting our mistakes and helping each and every one of the clients that have been affected during this time, we just wanted to say that we appreciate everyone who has supported us over the years and for everyone's patience during this difficult time.
We will make this right!
Jarrod
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