Bayfield octogenarians Gerri and Frank Duffy fill with anxiety every time it snows or rains. That is because a leaky roof over their three-story home in Forest Lakes subdivision sends water through their walls and ceilings.

But anxiety turns to rage every time they think about the nearly $7,000 they spent to have the roof repaired. That is because the roofing company skipped town without replacing a single shingle.

“I would just say use local people,” Gerri Duffy said. “Don’t use somebody that is on the road. Use people who you know, who have a good reputation, who you can get a reference or a recommendation by someone who’s had work done by them. We did learn the hard way.”

The Duffys are among dozens of homeowners statewide who have been scammed or fell victim to “storm chasers” – fly-by-night contractors who do shoddy work or skip town with large checks and incomplete jobs.

With the arrival of spring, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office is warning homeowners of an uptick in roofing scams.

“Many of these unlicensed roofing companies will canvas an entire neighborhood following large snow, hail or rainstorm,” Attorney General Cynthia Coffman said in a news release. “They pitch a limited-time ‘special offer’ and promise to do repairs that either never get done or cause real damage to a homeowner’s roof.”

She encourages homeowners to do their homework and ask questions so they don’t fall prey to high-pressure salesmen. Perpetrators are often difficult to prosecute because they bounce around and operate under the radar, said spokesman Roger Hudson.

The Duffys, along with several neighbors, noticed they had a leaky roof in 2014 after a hailstorm. A representative with East West Roofing, formally of Grand Junction, showed up to offer an inspection and provide paperwork to file an insurance claim.

An insurance appraiser agreed work needed to be done, and the company provided a check to the Duffys, who in turn wrote a check for $6,847.92 on July 19, 2014, to East West Roofing.

Summer gave way to fall, and work never began. The company didn’t even measure the roof or order materials to get the job started, Gerri Duffy said.

Meanwhile, their check was cashed and company owner George Harris quit responding to their pleas to refund the money.

“I spent a whole year trying to get back $7,000, which really isn’t a good return for my time,” Gerri Duffy said. “But I was so pissed off at these people. This guy, he should be in jail. He probably never will be. He flies under the radar, and he knows what he can get away with. The guy’s probably sitting in the Bahamas somewhere.”

Efforts to reach Harris for comment were unsuccessful; a phone number for East West Roofing in Grand Junction is no longer in service.

The Duffys have reached out to numerous agencies for help, including the state Attorney General’s Office, Better Business Bureau, Gov. John Hickenlooper’s Office, state Sen. Ellen Roberts, La Plata County Commissioner Julie Westendorf and the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office. But so far, they have gotten nowhere.

Sheriff’s Office spokesman Dan Bender confirmed the agency has an active investigation involving the Duffys and at least six other victims who had either partial work, unsatisfactory work or no work done by East West Roofing.

The business has closed, and the owners allegedly opened another called Harris Roofing Systems in Glenwood Springs, Bender said. Efforts to locate that business were unsuccessful Tuesday.

It is often difficult to pursue criminal charges in cases such as these because prosecutors must show criminal intent versus poor service, Bender said. That often leaves the civil court system as the only avenue for recourse, he said. People can also contact the Better Business Bureau, local chambers of commerce, HomeFinder.com, Angie’s List and other business watchdog organizations to share their experiences and help prevent additional victims, he said.

Another common scam that happens during the spring and summer months in Southwest Colorado involves unsolicited contractors who show up at homeowners’ doors saying they just finished a driveway paving or metal roof coating job down the road. They claim to have leftover materials and offer to do the driveway or roof at a minimal cost.

“Often, those deals do not turn out well for the homeowner, and the people who took your money are never seen again,” Bender said.

The Duffys may be lucky work never began on their house. Several neighbors who contracted with East West Roofing complained of irregularities. One neighbor reported fresh leaks around his chimney. Another was dissatisfied with the quality of craftsmanship, said Frank Duffy.

One day, two crews were sent to the same house to speed up the job, he said, but the crews wound up in a fist fight.

“That’s the kind of operation it was,” Frank Duffy said. “They just found a lot of guys who were out of work and put them to work with no experience whatsoever.”

The Duffys have taken out a $20,000 home equity loan to repair the roof and fix the walls and ceilings damaged by water.

“If you’re old, be extra careful,” Gerri Duffy said. “We know how people take advantage of elderly people on the phone. They took advantage of all ages here. We just happen to be elderly.”

shane@durangoherald.com

Tips to avoid roofing scams

Never allow an uninvited contractor to inspect your roof or to directly contact your insurance company.

Say no to contractors using high-pressure sales tactics or requesting that you make an immediate decision.

Before you spend significant money on a new roof, contact your insurance company yourself and arrange to have an authorized adjuster come to your home.

Obtain bids from at least three contractors and check each one with organizations such as your local Better Business Bureau.

Colorado law requires that a roofing contractor must provide a written contract that includes: the approximate dates of service; the approximate costs of the services; the roofing contractor’s contact information; identification of the roofing contractor’s surety and liability coverage insurer; and information regarding your right to rescind the contract within 72 hours if your insurance company denies your claim.

A roofing contractor must include, on the face of the contract in bold-faced type, a statement indicating that the roofing contractor shall hold in trust any payment from the property owner until the roofing contractor has delivered roofing materials at the residential property site or has performed a majority of the roofing work on the residential property.

Source: Colorado Attorney General’s Office