(WSVN) - A South Florida homeowner just had her roof repaired, so you can imagine her anger when she stepped outside and saw her roof wrecked. The Nightteam’s Kevin Ozebek has tonight’s special assignment report: Roof Ripoff.
Shirley Johnson loves her Deerfield Beach home she bought back in 1969.
Shirley Johnson, homeowner: “I watched them build it. I was 20 years old when we moved in. My husband was in Vietnam.”
But now…
Kevin Ozebek: “You don’t like being in your own backyard anymore?”
Shirley Johnson: “I don’t. I don’t.”
And that’s because from here, you can really see the massive black mess on her roof.
Shirley thinks it’s tar.
Shirley Johnson: “It was terrible. It smelled like tar, and I know what tar smells like.”
Last month, Shirley needed her roof patched.
Shirley Johnson: “There was a drip-drip, and there was a leak.”
So, she called a trusted contractor she has known for 30 years.
Shirley Johnson: “They had to match that shingle. They matched it pretty good, so the job looked like it never even happened. I was really happy.”
One week later, the doorbell rang. Her son answered the door.
Shirley’s son: “Yeah.”
Man: “Let me show you something.”
He says this man, as well as a second man seen here, claimed they work for the contractor who wrapped up the job just seven days earlier.
Shirley Johnson: “I couldn’t understand why they were coming back, but I’m thinking maybe they just want to touch up on the wood.”
Soon, Shirley’s husband stepped out.
The two men told him they wanted money.
Shirley then came out enraged.
“But who are you?!?!?”
By the time Shirley spoke to them, the damage was done.
Shirley Johnson: “The guy goes, ‘We put eight buckets of this stuff up there, eight gallons. It’s going to cost you anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000.’ I said, ‘Are you crazy? You just destroyed my roof. You think I am going to pay you?'”
Shirley told the men she was calling her contractor.
As she ran back inside her home to get her phone, the two men bolted in a white pickup.
Kevin Ozebek: “Do you have any reason to believe these are legitimate contractors?”
Lt. Brian Montgomery, Broward Sheriff’s Office: “Absolutely not.”
Montgomery says BSO wants these two men identified.
One was wearing a white shirt and black cap.
His face is hard to see because of the face mask, but we do have a better view of the second man who has a white beard.
Lt. Brian Montgomery: “We want to talk to them.”
Lt. Montgomery says if anyone comes to your home unannounced for repair work, call police right away.
Lt. Brian Montgomery: “If they’re legitimate, they’re not going to leave. They’re going to wait for law enforcement to show up. Why? Because they have nothing to hide.”
Kevin Ozebek: “What do you think their motivation was?”
Shirley Johnson: “Money.”
The two men told Shirley what they sprayed was going to dry clear.
Clearly, that didn’t happen.
If you have any information on these two men, call BSO at 954-490-4287.
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