Homeowners Lose Thousands After Roofing Co. Closes

DENVER (CBS4) - A Colorado roofing company has shut its doors after taking thousands of dollars from homeowners and leaving their roofs unrepaired.

Law enforcement authorities are looking into HomeFront Quality Roofing in three states. From Dallas to St. Louis to Denver there are people without a proper roof over their heads. They did their homework, the company looked legit, but now it's gone and so too is their money.

Colorado is called "Hail Alley" -- one of the top states in the country for hail damage. When it comes it's followed almost certainly by the roofers practically begging to get the contract for the repairs. Among them was HomeFront Quality Roofing.

"It's frustrating. Every day we come out here and have to deal with looking at a roof that's not finished," HomeFront Roofing customer Katie Berry said.

The replacement shingles have been sitting at Berry's place since May. The job was never done and the insurance money is gone.

"I feel like it's theft. They took money, almost $6,000 of our money and no roof," Berry said.

In Broomfield David Monahan was another HomeFront customer. He said he's lost almost $12,000. His roof was all set to be done but the company kept calling with delays.

"Right now my roofer didn't finish up with two roofs from last week here and I'm trying to get them buttoned up and finished," an employee with the company told Monahan, who saved the message on his cell phone.

Meantime his insurance check that required two signatures somehow got cashed by HomeFront.

"Somebody in the company forged the lien holder's signature, cashed the check and took the money wherever they were going to take it," Monahan said.

The Colorado Secretary of State's office shows HomeFront is registered to Ron Berglund of Littleton. Each time CBS4 investigator Rick Sallinger went to see Berglund he was told he was not at home, so he went to an office on Jackson Street where he discovered HomeFront had abandoned the space it had rented.

Then came a call from the attorney for Berglund telling CBS4 to stay away from his client's home and he would speak with Sallinger instead. Eric Fenster insisted it is not a roofing scam and his client is a minority owner who did nothing wrong.

"Mr. Berglund did not take it. Nobody gave money to Mr. Berglund, they gave money to HomeFront Roofing. The reason why Mr. Berglund is the target for these inquiries is because he is the person who is standing up and trying to take some responsibility," Fenster said.

When Sallinger asked, "Where is the money?" Fenster said it's unknown -- the company just got overextended.

Customers are now being told to contact HomeFront at a Lakewood address. It's a post office box. Or they can call a number.

"I've had no responses," Berry said. "I've sent two certified letters, one to a post office box and one to Ron Berglund's home and nobody's responded at all."

So Berry is suing, while her roof is still sitting.

"It's frustrating because we don't really have the money to hire somebody do it because they took our money and left," Berry said.

HomeFront almost always had no better than a "C" rating with the Better Business Bureau, but there was a period of time at the end of 2009 and beginning of 2010 when it had an "A-" rating if people checked then. Now rated "F" for failed.

Additional Resources

The address for HomeFront is:

Homefront Quality Roofing
98 Wadsworth Box #269
Lakewood, CO  80226

Customers have been told to call the following number, but several people have told CBS4 they haven't gotten responses when they called it: (720) 215-8071