Q: I don’t want to say where I live as it’s just too embarrassing. I’m hoping you can tell others to be more careful. My home was damaged in one of the tornadoes in the Midwest, and in desperation I gave a contractor a down payment to fix my roof before the next rain. He said he needed the cash to buy the materials. Long story short: He never showed up, and the money is as good as gone. Please let your readers know.A: You should contact the authorities and file a claim. Whoever did this to you is still out there free to do it again and again. Over the years I have warned readers to never, under any circumstances, pay up front to a contractor or salesman you have not contacted yourself or have not had the time to check out with local suppliers. You also need to check the contractor’s references and check with the Better Business Bureau. There are unscrupulous people who will rob you, not with a weapon, but with guile and fright.More than two decades ago my hometown was hit with hurricane-force winds that severely damaged hundreds of homes and businesses and basically shut down major services for several days.
A few years later I was inspecting a home that was being sold by an elderly widow who had installed a new roof because of the storm. When I climbed onto the roof, I found the roofers had covered the front of the house only — those areas that could be seen from the street. The backside of the roof was never replaced and was so worn it was hard to tell it had ever been a shingled roof.
Because of situations like this and many more, roofers in this county now have to be licensed by the city.
In most cases, roofers and other contractors are hardworking, honest business people who want to help, but in emergency situations they simply can’t do all the work required. That’s when the “out-of-towners” show up and sometimes take advantage of the needy.
Here’s what I would suggest: If the roof is damaged and you are approached by an unsolicited contractor, ask the roofer to cover the damaged area with a tarp and pay them for that service only. That will give you time to get competitive bids. If they are not willing to help, send them on their way. A carpenter might temporarily cover a hole in a wall with plywood or a plumber will shut off the main water if there’s a leak. It’s better to pay a premium for a temporary repair than to give a large amount of money to someone for a job that’s never completed.
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