After some hail damage occurred on my mother's property in May of this year she was recommended a roofer, Matt Moffett, who does business primarily with the Vietnamese community by an in-law, Mr. Hoang. The roofer was scheduled to come out to examine the roof but did not show up. Instead, he sent a crew at an unscheduled time and started work on her roof.
My mother does not speak enough English to hold a basic conversation. Mr.Moffett showed up after his crew already started the work and urged her to sign a contract stating how much the shingles and two windows on her home would cost, 5000 initially. Unfortunately, she signed it without a translator present and I do not live close enough to constantly be around. He did not stick around while his people worked on the roof but took the contract and left.
He later sent her a contract to be faxed to her insurance company for 6600 that included other repairs on the home, such as fixing the roof on a shed in the back yard, fencing, walls, and gutters. All of which he did not even touch. My mother unknowingly gave him the first check that the insurance company sent her, amounting to 4000 to cover his material cost. However, he requested that she pay him in cash for "convenience", which she complied.
When the roofer disappeared for roughly two months my mother assumed that he would come back to finish the job that he billed our insurance for and did not think to contact him out of good faith that he would be back. The roofer then called my sister, screaming profanity and threatening her for the rest of the money. He did not complete work on the windows, exterior walls, gutters, or any item other than replacing 21 squares of shingles on her roof. Additionally, the roof is rippled, uneven, and poorly built, which he explained as a minor problem typical in new shingles that would go away as the roof "settles". I have taken photos to show that this is not the case.
His own contract states that payment is due upon completion of the work. I called State Farm to explain the situation and they recommended that we not give him any more money in addition to seeking out our local municipal to find a building inspector. We were informed by our city that while all construction work required the contractor obtaining a permit, they had no record of the roofer filing for a permit.
I have tried to ask through text messages for copies of the receipts that showed what materials he bought with the money given to him from the first check our insurance provided. He responded by sending threatening text messages that he would take my mother to court and sue her for "insurance fraud". Although I don't believe she committed any sort of fraud by not paying this scam artist, I need to seek legal advice and possibly counter sue for our money so we could get a reputable contractor. My mother signed contracts with this man without fully understanding them and I believe he is trying to take advantage of this in order to deceive the insurance company and us.
His own contract states that payment is due upon completion, which it is anything but complete. It also states that all of his employees are licensed and insured, which I highly doubt because none of them seem properly trained and only spoke Spanish.
He has stated that the majority of his clients are Vietnamese and I believe he may be scamming them as well.
I also have reason to believe that our in-law Mr. Hoang, 404.645.6868, is working with him. When I stopped responding to his threats and harrassment, he called Mr. Hoang to call my mother on his behalf. Mr. Hoang also offered to climb onto our roof to "inspect" Mr. Moffett's workmanship despite having no training in the field. He also advised my mother that going to court could bring her more legal trouble than the roof is worth.
I messaged Mr. Hoang to state that he is not an owner of the home and should step out of the situation. I also stated that if he should intervene on Mr. Moffett's behalf I will take legal action against him as well.
He is too involved with this contractor and frequently recommends him to older Vietnamese immigrants to do contractor work. I believe they are both working to scam multitudes of people who do not understand the situation.