Complaints about a roofing scam in Blue Springs keep rolling in.
Blue Springs police received more complaints over the Labor Day weekend, according to police spokesperson Troy Pharr.
“We have eight reports now in this investigation,” Pharr said. “It’s pretty bad.”
Pharr estimated that as much as $30,000 has been lost.
The earliest incidents involving the company American Shingle occurred on July 13 and 14 when a salesman, or representative, for the company contacted the owners in person and told them that they needed new roofs.
The salesman told each victim that they needed to prepay the entire amount of the job up front before the work could be started, Pharr said.
Both homeowners wrote checks, which were cashed, and since then homeowners have not been able to reach anyone at the company, which lists locations in Lenexa, Kan., and in other states.
One city resident received a letter on Aug. 23 informing him that the company had been forced to shut down and that company officials were in the process of paying creditors.
The company filed for for bankruptcy in Georgia, according to the Better Business Bureau and news reports from several other states where American Shingle operates. It listed debts of up to $50 million and has left hundreds of homeowners stuck with roof repairs they paid for but will not see, according to the Bankruptcy Law Network and the Charlotte Observer.
Pharr continues to urge anyone with similar complaints to call the Missouri State Attorney General’s Office.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office said last week that the agency is investigating the matter. As many as 90 complaints had been filed against the company as of last week.
Blue Springs Police Chief Wayne McCoy warned that residents should be cautious about prepaying for services.
While some legitimate businesses do require a down payment on large jobs, too often it can mean that there is a potential for loss with the work never getting done.
“Please check sources to verify that a business is legitimate,” McCoy said in a press release. “Going online to search often yields surprising results.”
Anyone with any information should call Blue Springs Police at 816-228-0150.
