Chasing ‘stormchasers’: A resident’s fight to expose roofing scammers
More than a year after a hailstorm damaged home siding and roofs in Des Plaines, some residents have been left holding the bag after a fly-by-night contractor blew through town collecting insurance money, but leaving behind woefully inadequate repairs.
The company, Texas-based Godfather Construction, was fined by a local administrative judge — $750 per homeowner that is due to the city. The company was found liable for work that was never completed and ordered to refund three residents the money, amounting to $8,500.
To date, Godfather has not responded to the complaints filed against it or appealed the Des Plaines administrative judge’s ruling.
Neither the city nor residents have been able to contact the company’s three principals, who had been involved in the work done in Des Plaines.
The Daily Herald’s attempts to reach an official at Godfather for this story also failed. Several telephone numbers associated with the company were disconnected.
Now, resident Susan Czach is trying to get county and state authorities to prosecute Godfather Construction for fraud, but so far no charges have been filed.
Czach said that soon after a severe hailstorm on April 5, 2010, a Godfather representative, Freddie Miles, came to her door offering repair services.
Czach said she paid Miles for roof repairs, siding work and an awning for her patio that was never completed. The company’s contractors did repair the roof, but the work was far from impressive, she said.
“He measured (the patio) wrong … there is a hole of about two feet (wide) and the work that was done is substandard and failed the city’s inspection,” Czach said.
The contractors left awning material in her yard, saying they were waiting on parts, and never returned. she said.
Czach has been trying to get her money back since last November, but after a while company officials stopped returning phone calls or responding to her emails.
She and two other residents filed complaints with the Des Plaines Consumer Protection Commission, which called for the administrative hearing earlier this year.
“They are stormchasers of the worst kind,” Czach said. “These people need to be ... made accountable.”
Czach has been tracking Godfather Construction’s activities and believes the company has moved on to other states. She has tried to warn homeowners like herself by filing a review about Godfather on a website ripoffreport.com.
“It seems to be a pattern,” Czach said. “They go to a town. They look for an investor. When they go from state to state, a lot of times they change their name.”
Czach has requested the Cook County state’s attorney’s office investigate Godfather’s practices in Illinois. A spokeswoman for the office’s Special Prosecutions Bureau Consumer Fraud Unit acknowledged the agency is looking into Czach’s and other Des Plaines residents’ complaints but would not comment on any investigation.
Czach also has filed complaints with the FBI and the Illinois attorney general’s office. The FBI said the complaint doesn’t fall under its jurisdiction.
The Illinois Attorney General’s office has received only six complaints in 10 years against Godfather Construction and no action has been taken, according to an official in the Consumer Fraud Intake Unit, who said it launches an investigation only when it sees a pattern of complaints against a firm.
Godfather Construction is a registered limited liability company with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office, but is not licensed to do roofing repairs.
Documents obtained by the Daily Herald under the Freedom of Information Act from Des Plaines reveal no permits were actually issued to Godfather. However, permits were pulled by Godfather under the name Svares Roofing, a McHenry County-based roofing contractor.
Svares has denied any part in the repairs that were done on the homes of Czach and other Des Plaines residents. A spokeswoman for the contractor said though Godfather initially approached the company, a deal was never struck and she accuses Godfather of using Svares’ name and roofing license without consent to pull permits.
Des Plaines officials didn’t check whether Svares was actually working with Godfather before issuing the permits because “it’s not uncommon that a general contractor hires a sub,” City Attorney Dave Wiltse said.
There’s likely nothing more Des Plaines officials can do in the matter other than go after Godfather to recoup the fines imposed by the administrative judge by placing a lien on the company.
That decision has not been made yet, said Heather Kruse, an attorney for the city. After trying for months, Czach and two other Des Plaines residents recently got money that Godfather owed them from the bond company that insured Godfather’s projects in Illinois for $25,000.
“I’m glad that I got my money back, but I still want people to go after them,” said Czach, who got a $1,000 check — the amount she paid Godfather as down payment for siding work that was never done — days after she lost her job in April.
Meanwhile, Czach has been contacting the governor’s offices in each state where she suspects Godfather is active to warn them of the company’s practices.
“Some of the states think I’m nuts. Some of them take me very seriously,” she said. “My goal now is to stop (Godfather).”
Tips for spotting scammers
Here are some tips from one roofing company on how to determine if a contractor is a stormchaser:
Ÿ They phone you or come to your home uninvited
Ÿ They drive an unmarked vehicle or have out-of-state plates
Ÿ They pressure you to sign papers the same day
Ÿ They ask for payment before project installation
Ÿ They insist that you need to make repairs immediately
Ÿ They say theyll contact your insurance company for you
Source: Avondale Roofing