Complaint Review: Interstate Roofing Inc. - Denver Colorado

Due to a miscommunication and misunderstandings between offices, a dispute arose between the parties.  After engaging in significant communications regarding the dispute, the parties were able to resolve the misunderstanding.  Interstate Roofing, Scott Riopelle and their employees are fair and reputable, and have a long history of being a proven and reliable company.

I withdraw my complaint against Interstate Roofing and Scott Riopelle.

Craig Wall, for RoofingInColorado.com

If one checks the source of this information you will find a Florida Real Estate Attorney which is referring to issues which simply do not apply in this case, along with disclaimers that refer one to a real lawyer.  The case studies are also way off the mark and can hardly be called comparable to this situation.  I personally have witnessed a roofing salesman in Jefferson County CO small claims court win a judgement against a dishonest customer who kept insurance funds, and I will do the same in Rapid City.  

On the advice of our attorneys in CO and SD liens can indeed be filed and won by salespeople/project managers. Without their services the repairs or improvements to the property don't happen, since most subs are independent contractors dedicated to a specific trade. . .  who ever heard of a roofing subcontractor ordering, scheduling, and directing various trades (painters, siders, et al)on a project?  Doesnt happen that way.  You also will rarely find the owner/general contractor doing all the logistical work themselves, especially with a larger company . .  thus, this attempt to misdirect our collections activities against innocent customers and the criminal prime contractor is futile and inaccurate.

Also, the comment on the amount it costs to file this specific lien is inaccurate; this is the cost of one online lien service, however, there are others that do not charge the same amount and can be very cost effective. And when the prime contractor owes several thousand dollars on the commissions not paid, when is an investment of a couple hundred bucks not worth it?  Especially when attorney fees and collections costs are part of the settlement.  Especially when a number of customers are affected.  

Most importantly, when the prime contractor is subpoenaed to show up in court (to face the contractor and honest customers who paid their bill they are trying to rip off) they usually don't have the guts to face a judge and will simply pay their obligation.  Customers dislike paying for the work twice and ultimately will prevail with attorney fees and damages if they have to sue the prime themselves.  In Colorado there is a specific law that charges Civil Theft on a general that vindictively or dishonestly does not pay the subs, the Colorado Trust Fund Statute; in South Dakota its called 'diversion.'  

There are also subs such as myself that will invest in a cause on principle even though it may cost a little dough. . .  the negative press against the customer (if a dishonest, insurance fraudster) or the ripoff general contractor can do a lot to educate the public, and will ultimately cost the general HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, IF NOT MILLIONS of dollars in lost sales,business and customer avoidance of being put into the same position. . .  THAT IS PRICELESS! 

And of course, Interstate Roofing will face civil and criminal suits in Denver District Court, which can prosecute Civil Theft and Fraud, and can grant punitive and unspecified damage claims that far exceed the amounts owed.  However, this takes time to arrange; in the meantime, Liens will be filed on all affected properties to secure sub payment and force the general into court much sooner.  We can file 15 liens for the cost of bringing the case to Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court; all will happen in good time.

It's really too bad that customers want to blame the sub for the Lien, when it's the crooked general that's at fault. If mistreated customers start vociferously complaining to the South Dakota Attorney General, the CO AG, and the Colorado Better Business Bureau, the customers may not have to suffer the indignation of having a lien filed on their property and a possible hit to their credit rating.  Thank you. 

PS  To the 'jailhouse lawyer' that provided the rebuttal--give me a call if you have any more advice. . .  or are you a Interstate Roofing shill?

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Good morning:  I wanted to give you some information on what you can expect from what I have found out is a gang of crooks and frauds.  During my investigation up to this point I have found out that what the owner of Interstate is doing to me he has a pattern of doing to other salespersons that have worked with Interstate over the past few years.  

While anyone can file a Mechanics Lien, only those subcontractors and contractors who "improve a property by completing work" will actually be awarded a lien. Salesmen do not fit into this category. Additionally, many states don't allow individuals without a General Contractors license to file a lien. Some states even penalize individuals without licenses for even trying to file a lien. It's unlikely that it is worth $280 per property to file a lien against each property if you did not actually complete any work on the properties. You are better off attempting to sue the company that you were contracted with, as stated in the link below. 

http://www.justanswer.com/real-estate-law/1d0vh-file-mechanics-lien-unpaid-sales-comission.html

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There Can Be Much More to Roofing Scams Than just Taking The Down Payment

There is a roofing scam being conducted by Interstate Roofing and owner Scott Riopelle in Rapid City that is affecting the wellbeing and property security of elderly and disabled customers in Rapid City, and takes advantage of and rips off salespeople.  Eventually there could be over eight properties in various neighborhoods that can be adversely affected by the way Interstate Roofing Rapid City and certain employees and subcontractors are encouraged to do business by the owner.  The roofing scam itself preys upon salespeople within the organization as a cash cow, as well as the roofing itself.

A Rapid City Mechanics Lien on Property has already been attached to a dishonest customers’ house, a situation that should not have occurred had devious Interstate employees and subs not interfered and inflamed the situation.  The situation could have been resolved without such drastic measures had Interstate conducted business professionally and lawfully.

In South Dakota, when a ‘prime,’ or general contractor (Interstate) collects the funds for work performed but does not pay the subcontractors, there are few options available for the smaller ‘innocent’ subcontractor or material supplier to be paid for labor and materials.  The primary means used to secure a response from the crooked general contractor is ‘attaching the real property,’ or securing a primary interest in the property through filing a Mechanics Lien at the local courthouse until the bill is paid.  This is the primary method used throughout the US, and it’s not pleasant.  Among other things, the innocent homeowner or their bank cannot sell or use the property for security until the lien is satisfied;  South Dakota allows SIX YEARS to file court action to FORECLOSE if necessary due to THE PROPERTY OWNER BEING LIABLE FOR THE AMOUNT OWED THE SUBCONTRACTOR, REGARDLESS IF THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS PAID THE BILL IN FULL OR NOT.

In the case above, the customer took funds paid by the insurance company on a reinspection—RCV funds are paid only when the items in question are to be repaired or replaced.  The property owner got much of the comped work done, then made up an excuse to keep the insurance money for personal use. This was intentional and amounts to Theft Of Services and Insurance Fraud.  Thus in this case a Mechanics Lien on the property to secure payment was absolutely justified, and this is what the law is intended for.

However, Interstate Roofing, as General Contractor, has refused to fully compensate certain subcontractors for projects worked on by the sub in Rapid City, forcing the subcontractor in a costly manner away from the Rapid City Hail Storm apparently to steal referral business and take the funds for jobs already sold and not collected.  This created problems of services due customers not being fulfilled, of course affecting the client, and also Interstate Roofing’s reputation in a new market  ( Wouldn’t Interstate’s Riopelle be interested in building and keeping a good reputation if he was interested in remaining in Rapid City?)  

Since there are very precise timelines and guidelines for filing such important documents with the courthouse, and notifying impacted parties, and the clock has started to run out, the subcontractor has had to begin the process of FILING MECHANICS LIENS ON INNOCENT INTERSTATE ROOFING CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE PAID IN FULL, through no fault of their own.

Interstate Roofing Inc. and Scott Riopelle need enlightenment in their understanding of  the decision to  not pay a subcontractor.  South Dakota Mechanic’s Lien Law says this is Diversion and considered theft.  The subcontractor had customers who were extremely happy up to the point the subcontractor was forced out of town so Scott’s ‘partners’ Altamirano and Bailey could secure the subcontractors’ future business and earnings, while Riopelle keeps the rest.

Altamirano and Bailey ended up running the Rapid City office for their sole benefit—at the expense of the other salespeople and their customers.  If you were a Interstate customer you may have wondered why it took so long to get your job done . . .  despite what you where told, Bailey and Altamirano are married, and they made sure all their jobs got scheduled before anyone else’s.  They sabotaged other salespeople’s efforts and stole referrals, took over damaged neighborhoods from fellow salespeople then drove them out, and worked up the salespeople’s final paysheets with fraudulent and inflated charges, to enrich themselves and Riopelle, in exchange for Riopelle overlooking the obvious conflict of interest.

Main problem was this:  Brian Bailey signs a lot of contingencies by making questionable statements, but doesn’t know much about anything but shingles, like most roofers.  For example, he made a stupid, costly mistake on drip edge (basic) on a high end house, next to a job he tried to steal from another subcontractor, and became the laughingstock of the neighborhood and the crews.  He gets the advantage by hook or by crook to stay on top, including using his wife to get the upper hand.

Since the subcontractor threatened Brian Bailey’s ego and top dog position simply by knowing more and being a lot better than he is at the business, he let his jealousy and his wife Melanie Altamirano further sabotage the contractor and his customers, with Scott Riopelle’s blessing.

 Altamirano wants to do the backend paperwork for all the sales people, a very convenient arrangement:  She can hold up all the other salesperson’s jobs and put Brian Bailey’s jobs ahead of everyone else’s, and steals referrals for Bailey, and even gets paid for it.  Then, Melanie Altamirano and Scott Riopelle apply a few accounting tricks and false chargebacks to the accounts, along with her fee, and everybody  is happy (except the ripped off salesperson, who can’t figure out why it’s taking so long to get their jobs done and folks are cancelling, or why it takes months to get paid, and why they better not have any questions or they won’t get paid).

The professional, highly experienced damage restoration subcontractor knew better and would not allow Melanie Altamirano to interfere with his clients, or pay a fee to do a marginal job on his claims in twice the amount of time, or allow her to poach leads and neighborhoods for her husband, Brian Bailey.  Oh, Altamirano didn’t like this at all, not getting her way, and top dog Brian didn’t like the way the contractor sold the first 3 out of five jobs in Rapid City for Interstate, out of 5 salespeople. And all Internet leads and referrrals, not stupid, con artist door knocked leads.

Thus, between the customers who had their paperwork ‘lost,’ their jobs delayed, deliveries and crews showing up with no notice or weeks behind, and difficulty in communications, you have the result of American Greed type behavior that impacts Interstate’s customers in a new market in a negative fashion, and of which the employees, Riopelle and Interstate Roofing obviously care not. 

Interstate is not paying for over eight jobs that were completed by the subcontractor, and are using a fabricated excuse not to pay (Call the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office and ask for Ray in Consumer Protection to check the status of any complaints regarding Interstate).  This behavior has forced the subcontractor to begin the process of filing Liens on all the affected clients/properties as timelines dictate. The subcontractor has warned the customers and all understand and are not happy with Interstate (although Interstate of course blames the subcontractor).

Nearly all the subcontractors customers were very pleased with the workmanship and communications as long as the subcontractor was allowed to remain in Rapid City (threats of violence were used to drive him away and take over his business, condoned by Interstate); most provided written testimonials of how much they liked the subcontractor’s performance, and most will stand behind him to collect.  Most of them have lodged complaints with the local Better Business Bureau, but unfortunately the liens must be filed for most entities to take the charges seriously, so the process has started. . .

The first of Interstate Roofing’s victims is a elderly lady being taken care of by her daughter. It was a difficult claim but the subcontractor was able to get a number of things done for them, including getting a number of additional damaged items paid for. The situation was discussed, and they were encouraged to complain to the BBB and AG.  They will get their Notice of Furnishing Labor and Materials by Certified Mail around the first of Feb 2012, along with Interstate.  If Interstate does not pay for the commission earned (over $2500) then the contractor has to take the elderly client to court to witness against Interstate Roofing, if they show up or are still around.  All this after already paying the full insurance proceeds in a timely fashion.

The next victim  is a elderly, disabled gentleman whose son in a different state helps out with.  In this case, Interstate did not fulfill the contract by making the subcontractor leave the area, causing undue worry for the gentleman and extra hassle for his son.  The subcontractor got another sub to finish the job that Interstate left undone; final payment was delayed due to Interstate’s ineptitude, then paid in full when the job was completed.  The son was incensed when the subcontractor explained the situation to him, naturally, and was immediately threatening to call his lawyer (the sub does not blame him at all).  Since these innocent folks should not have to pay anything, the subcontractor provided BBB contact information in Colorado, the state the son lives in and Interstate’s corporate office location, and also suggested a call to the SD AG as well.  Unfortunately, this Lien may have to be filed as well due to Interstate’s dishonesty and disregard for people and customers, and the deadline looms.

If you are a former salesperson or customer that has had problems with the listed individuals and company, please call for a confidential conversation three oh 3 4 nine 5 48 twenty eight.  Keep checking back for updates, and check other Ripoff Reports and Pissed Consumer for further information.  Thank you.

Interstate Roofing continues to nonexistent complaints to not to pay subcontractors, which leads to innocent homeowners being victimized through no fault of their own.  Interstate continues to exaggerate and misuse their subcontractor agreement to justify not paying on this and many other unrelated projects, leaving the subs to pursue compensation through the court system: 

On October 25, 2013, I, G***** R**** called Interstate Roofing due to a previous roofing company treating me rudely and delaying my job over and over contrary to promises made.

I was in a hurry because I had just switched homeowners insurance and the insurance company wanted to cancel the new policy because of the old roof.  Then I was contacted by Craig from Interstate Roofing.  He came right over, gave me a fair price on the spot, and we got the roof done before the insurance deadline.  Craig helped be communicate with the underwriters and prevented my policy from being cancelled.  I was so happy I paid the bill in full after the roof was done, but the gutters weren’t done yet.

Craig told me everything was in and the gutters should be done within a week or so after the roof.  He had never told me anything wrong so far so I believed him.  Well, a couple weeks go by, and not a word from Interstate.  On or about the  2nd week after the roof was put on (around the end of November) I called them and to find out what the delay was and was told they would be out that Saturday (December 2, 2013 I think).  I noted that the temperature would be to cold but was assured that the gutters would be installed. 

That Saturday I waited until 10am and called the office and was told that it was too cold. Interstate made no attempts to keep in touch and I had enough and said I was going to do it myself and to cancel the contract and was informed if I wanted to cancel I had to do it in writing. I wrote up the cancellation and hand delivered within the hour. Doesn’t seem right that Interstate had dropped the ball over and over, yet I had to jump through even more hoops myself to take them off the hook

The following Monday Interstate Roofing called me back, I think December 7, and only because of Craig W***'s fine service did I relent and reschedule the gutter install, over a month after the roof  had been completed, which is 7 weeks they had to make sure the gutters came in right behind the roof.  This is important in the winter in Colorado, as we all know.  My house had gutters on it for over 50 years, since it was built.  I was worried we would get some weather and cause me and my elderly mother (94) slipping on the walks and foundation problems.

The gutter guys did a good job when they finally got there, so did the roofers and Craig.  When Craig explained the real reason the job had been delayed, and what else Interstate Roofing office employees and some of their subcontractors were doing to not pay him, that was the final straw. 

I paid the bill in full a month before the job was completed.  To find out over two months later that Craig W*** who put everything together and helped me out with my insurance company has not been paid yet?  I know about liens on property and will back up Craig in his effort to be paid  Interstate needs to pay their workers in full and fair.   Who else haven’t they paid? Do I need to worry about another Interstate subcontractor having to place a lien on my home to get paid?

I am very worried that my property will be ‘locked up’ for up to six months by the Lien that Craig must file to get paid from Interstate.  I called the company on 1/27/14 and spoke to a Brett Wilson.  He told me a lot of Interstate customers were mad at Craig, which I find hard to believe.  I told him he needs to pay Craig and that I’m pretty upset by the whole thing, and he just laughed at me.

Craig tells me I have what’s called a ‘affirmative defense” against him being able to foreclose on my property, which he doesn’t want to do anyway. But he needs to file the Lien just to force Interstate into court to have them address a judge with exactly why they are denying Craig’s pay on my job, when Interstate has told Craig they are holding all the money they owe him simply because one customer decided to keep their insurance money, then complained to the South Dakota AG when Craig tried to collect. 

How does one complaint on a job in another state give Interstate a reason not to not pay Craig in Colorado?  This should be against the law, and Craig tells me it is, but it is a civil issue/statute, and when the company holds all your money how is he supposed to take them to County Court?  Or pursue Civil Theft and Trust Fund violations?  I also understand that’s a law here that general contractors have to hold funds to pay subs in trust, but what good is the law when it still allows my property to be hung up in court? 

If there is a crime being committed here why is it up to us to enforce those laws.  Neither me or Craig have the money to hire lawyers to enforce the law.  According to Craig Interstate has been doing this to their subcontractors for some time, knowing that they don’t have the money to hold them accountable, especially since Interstate simply refuses to pay them. Craig says he has several former salesmen and vendors that can testify to this abuse, but that does me no good if no one cares.

I’m nearly 70 years old and my mother is 94.  What happens to us if we need to sell the house to take care of medical bills, or if one of us passes on and my house is tied up until a trial/hearing.  I don’t need this stress or worry, and neither does my mother.  We are very concerned that Interstate Roofing will refuse to listen to us and won’t care about us as a customer.  This is all because a big roofing company can simply say they are not going to pay a subcontractor for something else entirely.  I really can’t wait months and months without knowing what’s going on with my property.

From what I’ve seen with the way that Interstate’s office treated me on my gutters, and Craig on his well earned commission, the management seems so concerned about messing with and stealing from Craig that they don’t care about anything else.  But what good is having great work done when the company itself won’t take care of me as a customer, and doesn’t seem to care about how I feel.  What happens if I have a problem down the road? Will Interstate just say tough luck?  How can I believe any company that abuses their contractors and clients like this?

Craig has filed a Notice of Intent to File a Lien and has sent notices to me and Interstate.  Now I have to wait 10 days to find out if what Craig says is the truth—that Interstate will do nothing to help me, they will just ignore the Notice,just like they’ve ignored Lien Notices in other states.  How can they be allowed to harm me in order to ‘get’ Craig?  It makes no sense to me and is really getting me worried. 

Thank you for looking into this.  I appreciate your help in saving me and my mother a lot of worry and concerns, and maybe even losing my home,  by holding these people accountable for their treatment of old people and their contractors.

IF YOU ARE A CONTRACTOR OR CUSTOMER OF INTERSTATE ROOFING, DON'T THINK THIS CAN'T HAPPEN TO YOU.

This is a letter that was directed to Scott Riopelle to show him that Brian Bailey and Melanie Altamirano were using this customer as a pretext to claim my leads and favored neighborhoods in Rapid City, SD, and to keep me from doing my own online marketing and lead generation, as a top salesman and contractor should do. 

We are permitted to use Interstate's logo's and name in personal marketing, but there is a stipulation that the corporate phone number needs to be present as well.  Interstate employees repeatedly pressured me to simply get rid of, or 'take down' my own marketing, without any indication that all I had to do was add the number. 

Since Riopelle's staff likes to keep things from him and manipulate him, even though this letter was labeled 'confidential' and addressed directly to Riopelle, we doubt if he got it.  There was no acknowledgement of receipt or customer concern expressed to this homeowner, or myself. I have redacted the homeowner information for privacy concerns, but please call me direct with information inquiries and I'll be happy to oblige (three oh three 49 five 48 twenty eight):

October 16, 2013

Interstate Roofing

Attn: Scott Riopelle

1050 W 47th Ave

Denver, CO 80211

Dear Mr Riopelle

On behalf of my fiancé, T**** ******, and myself, we want to thank Interstate Roofing for working with us to replace our roof. Our situation was unique as it was a cash deal with no insurance involvement.

We were initially approached by Dan B******* as he walked our neighborhood speaking with potential clients. Dan was made aware that we would be paying cash. He told us he would get us an estimate. Unfortunately, we were given no timeframe and never heard from Dan again. We had no contact information for him so we could not follow-up directly with Dan.

We received two other estimates from other roofing companies but we wanted a third estimate. A simple google search led me to the website roofinginSouthDakota.com. I noticed the Interstate Roofing logo on the website and thought I would give the company another chance. A simple phone call put me in contact with Craig Wall.

It was a pleasure to work with Mr. Wall. He sat down with T*** and I and helped us work out a cash deal. He was very flexible in working around our schedules to meet with us and was always willing to take the time to address our questions and concerns. Mr. Wall never pressured us, giving us ample time to discuss and make an educated decision.

Aside from a small weather delay, the process was quick and smooth. We are now the proud owners of a new roof done with quality materials, by a quality crew from Interstate Roofing. We were impressed with Mr. Wall’s ability to stay in contact and his punctuality when meeting with him. We would not hesitate to refer family and friends to Mr. Wall.

Sincerely,

Joe R*** and T**** ******

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