BBB warns consumers about Baltimore roofing company – WBAL Baltimore

BALTIMORE

The Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland is sending out a warning to consumers who get home-repair work.

It comes after a Baltimore woman said she paid hundreds of dollars for work that was not completed on her roof. The BBB said that it started investigating a Baltimore home improvement company after it received a complaint from a consumer.

That consumer, Phyllis Smith, said she is telling her story to try to save others from a lot of expense and heartache.

When it started getting worse, I started looking around to different places, Smith said.

Smith called around to several roofing companies to try to get her leaking, big mess of a roof fixed. She eventually came across a flier for Tri City Roofing, and decided to give the company a chance.

Smith said the owner came out and she gave him $1,200 up front to do the work. But right away she admits that she did not have a good feeling about the company.

I said, You weren't up there long enough to do what you claimed you done because my roof has been worked on before and it took them all day long, Smith said. My roof was still leaking worse than it was from when he came out there before."

Smith claims that Tri City Roofing said crews would come back, but they never did, and communication from there didn't go well.

Smith contacted the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland, and its president, Angie Barnett, said they discovered issues with the business and gave it an F rating.

The BBB was able to verify through the Maryland Home Improvement Commission directly that they have no record that the individual by his name or his business name, no indication that he had applied for, or ever held a license through them, Barnett said.

A license through the Maryland Home Improvement Commission is required for anyone who works on residential property. If a consumer hires someone who doesn't have the license, they cannot get restitution through the state if there's a problem.

The owner of Tri City Roofing told 11 News that he is trying to resolve one complaint about his company that he knows about.

Smith knows that she probably has no recourse in her case, but she does have a goal.

I would prefer nobody else gets in this situation with him, Smith said. I want him stopped. That's all I want for him and the whole company.

BBB officials point out that Tri City Roofing doesn't have a physical location or a website and the PO Box address comes back return to sender.

The BBB is warning consumers to never give more than one-third of a payment upfront for home repair work and to make sure the company is licensed.

WEBVTT FROM A LOT OF EXPENSE ANDHEARTACHE.>> WHEN IT STARTED GETTINGWORSE, I STARTED LOOKING AROUNDTO DIFFERENT PLACES.REPORTER: PHYLLIS SMITH CALLEDAROUND TO SEVERAL ROOFINGCOMPANIES TO TRY TO GET HERLEAKING, BIG MESS OF A ROOF-FIXED BEFORE SHE CAME ACROSSTHIS FLIER FROM TRI-CITYROOFING.SHE SAID THE OWNER CAME OUT, ANDSHE GAVE HIM $1200 UP FRONT TODO THE WORK, BUT SHE ADMITSRIGHT AWAY SHE DIDN'T HAVE AGOOD FEELING.>> I SAID, "YOU WEREN'T UP THERELONG ENOUGH TO DO WHAT YOUCLAIMED YOU DONE," BECAUSE MYROOF HAS BEEN WORKED ON BEFORE,AND IT TOOK THEM ALL DAY LONG.MY ROOF WAS STILL LEAKING, WORSETHAN IT WAS FROM WHEN HE CAMEOUT THERE BEFORE.REPORTER: PHYLLIS CLAIMS THAT HESAID HE'D COME BACK, BUT HENEVER DID.AND COMMUNICATION FROM THEREDIDN'T GO WELL.SHE CONTACTED THE BETTERBUSINESS BUREAU, WHERE PRESIDENTANGIE BARNETT EXPLAINS THAT THEYDISCOVERED ISSUES WITH THEBUSINESS, AND GAVE IT AN FRATING>> THE BBB WAS ABLE TO VERIFYTHROUGH THE MARYLAND HOMEIMPROVEMENT COMMISSION DIRECTLY,THAT THEY HAVE NO RECORD THATTHE INDIVIDUAL BY HIS NAME ORHIS TRADING NAME, THEY HAD NOINDICATION THAT HE HAD APPLIEDFOR OR EVER HAD THE LICENSETHROUGH THEM.REPORTER: A LICENSE THROUGH THEMARYLAND HOME IMPROVEMENTCOMMISSION IS REQUIRED FORANYONE WHO WORKS ON RESIDENTIALPROPERTY.IF A CONSUMER HIRES SOMEONE WHODOESN'T HAVE THE LICENSE, THEYCAN'T GET RESTITUTION THROUGTHE STATE IF THERE'S A PROBLEM.THE OWNER SAYS HE'S TRYING TORESOLVE ONE COMPLAINT ABOUT HISCOMPANY THAT HE KNOWS ABOUT.PHYLLIS KNOWS THAT SHE PROBABLYHAS NO RECOURSE IN HER CASE, BUTSHE DOES HAVE A GOAL.>> I WOULD PREFER NOBODY ELSEGET IN THIS SITUATION WITH HIM.I WANT HIM STOPPED.THAT'S ALL I WANT.HIM AND THE WHOLE COMPANREPORTER: BBB OFFICIALS POINTOUT THAT TRI-CITY DOESN'T HAVE APHYSICAL LOCATION, OR AWEBSITE.THE PO BOX ADDRESS COMES BACKRETURN TO SENDER.THEY'RE WARNING CONSUMERS TONEVER GIVE MORE THAN ONE THIRDOF A PAYMENT UPFRONT FOR HOMEREPAIR WORK, AND MAKE SURE THE

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BBB warns consumers about Baltimore roofing company - WBAL Baltimore