Roofing company accused by New Jersey family of not honoring contract agreement
A New Jersey family hired a contractor to replace their roof, but three years later, the work hasn't even started.
At first, the company blamed delays, and then, the family says, it stopped taking calls.
CBS News New York investigative reporter Mahsa Saeidi started to dig into the business and found a trail of unhappy customers.
Maria Chavez's complaints against the company
After a series of storms in Lodi, New Jersey, multiple families had their roofs replaced. Maria Chavez said neighbors had used the company Home Repair.
"They agreed they were going to do the repairs," Chavez said. "I trusted them based on the fact that other neighbors had work done and completed."
So when her ceiling started to leak in 2022, she hired the company as well. The down payment was $3,687.22. According to the contract, the estimated job start date was 12 to 16 weeks.
"It was approximately March of 2024," Chavez said, referring to the last time she heard from the company.
She said while she was waiting, the company was telling her, "They were waiting for materials to arrive. Then they didn't have the correct color that we had chosen together. Then it was weather issues."
When Chavez asked for a refund, she says a customer service rep emailed her, saying, "We are not in breach of our contract."
Later, the rep says insurance reimbursements on other completed jobs were delayed, but if Chavez was to take out a loan and front all the cash, work would start "as soon as two weeks' time."
"I am not interested in this option," she wrote back.
Company owner was arrested for fraud last year, Medford P.D. says
Saeidi called Home Repair to ask when the roof would be completed or if the company could give Chavez a refund. The company did not pick up the phone, has no working website, and no active license, according to state records. When CBS News New York went to the listed address for the company in Marlton, New Jersey, a receptionist said Home Repair only had a P.O. box., which was closed when it allegedly stopped making payments.
According to the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, James Silva is the owner of Home Repair, LLC. Once seemingly successful, Silva was arrested last September in Las Vegas for alleged fraud and theft. Police in Medford, New Jersey, claim he took more than $140,000 from five families, and never completed the work. The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office told Saeidi there will be a pre-trial conference later this month.
The Chavez family has since contacted police. Mario Blanch, Silva's attorney, told Saeidi, "While I cannot comment on the specifics, my client maintains his innocence, and we are confident... he will be vindicated at trial."
Always read your insurance policy, licensed broker says
"It's a very tough place to be," said Jason Bartow, a licensed insurance agent and broker. "When you have a claim, it's imperative that you get the repair work done as soon as possible."
Bartow says homeowners have a duty to prevent further damage. Saeidi asked if it's possible if you wait too long that insurance companies can change their mind on the claim, to which Bartow replied, "Correct," adding, "One of the things buried, in the back of an insurance policy, is you agree, as the policyholder, to abide by the conditions in a timely manner of filing a claim and getting the claim repaired or mitigated as soon as you can."
Chavez says her insurance company won't cover her loss, but if a new roofer finishes the job, it will reimburse her, minus the $3,687.22 already paid to Home Repair.
"I am just worried that we will get flooded in or something worse will happen. That's my biggest fear, and it will end up costing us more in the long run," Chavez said.
Chavez is in the process of finding a new roofer. Once she shows the insurance company proof that the work is done, she'll get a check for approximately $10,000.
The Lodi Police Department is investigating after Chavez filed a report.
