RALEIGH, N.C. (Legal Newsline) - North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper announced on Thursday that he obtained a court order against a Wake County roofer who allegedly took payments but failed to complete roofing work.
Cooper filed a lawsuit and a request for a temporary restraining order after 14 consumers alleged Brian Smith and his companies Eagle Roofing and Restoration and GBS Roofing took payments but never completed roofing work. Smith allegedly had his employees and sales agents travel to neighborhoods hit by storms and tell homeowners their roofs may have suffered damage. The roofers allegedly told homeowners they could repair the roofs and get insurance to cover the costs.
Smith's roofers allegedly asked homeowners to pay half of the repair costs upfront after homeowners received a check from their insurer. The roofers then allegedly did little to no work to repair the roofs.
"Storm chasers follow bad weather and try to pressure homeowners to sign a contract for repairs right away," Cooper said. "But once they've gotten paid, they often take off with your money and never finish the job."
Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens granted Cooper's request to keep Smith and his companies from taking upfront money for roofing work in North Carolina. The defendants must appear in court on May 5 to explain why roofing work they were contracted to perform was allegedly never completed.
Cooper's lawsuit seeks the payment of civil penalties, the payment of refunds for customers and a permanent ban against Smith's practice of taking advance payments.
N.C. AG sues 'storm chasers' who allegedly took consumers' money
