Colorado is filled with excellent roofing contractors who do an excellent job but there are undoubtedly some scammers. Luckily for homeowners those scammers are usually brought to justice as is the case for Jeffery Masias. Colorado Fourth District Federal Judge Gregory Werner sentenced Masias to a four-year prison sentence for taking more than $300,000 from 18 different people with no work performed or intent to perform. The judge declined the defense’s request for probation and chose a sentence between his options of two to six years. Masias had pleaded guilty to felony theft.
Masias took several thousand dollars from Colorado residents over a period of two years for jobs including bathroom remodels, deck maintenance and repair, and roofing. Masias ran his haphazard construction company as Masias’ Innovative RAC and did business under other entities.
The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department revoked Masias’s Innovative RAC’s contractor license in December, 2018 before filing a lawsuit against him in the Fourth Judicial Court for unlicensed work and continued contracting without a license. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) also revoked Masias’s accreditation after receiving 17 complaints in a two-year period.
Masias cost dozens across the Pikes Peak Region tens of thousands of dollars including a couple who paid Masias $58,000 for a deck project but were forced to pay another contractor an additional $40,00 to complete it. Masias had made several excuses for the delays and mishaps but the judge wasn’t hearing any excuses handing down the four-year term.
Finding a Reliable Roofing Contractor
It will take years for Masias’s victims to recoup their losses, but you can avoid hiring a scammer by following a few simple steps:
- Read Online Reviews – Online reviews are a wealth of information on how a company operates. A few bad reviews aren’t cause for alarm but if the company ranks poorly across different review sites – they are no good for your roof.
- Check Licensing and Insurance – Your roofing contractor must be licensed with your local city and carry liability insurance.
- Check the BBB – Check that your contractor is accredited with your local BBB. Look for an A+ rating for the most confidence.
- Get Personal Referrals – Before hiring, ask potential hires for references and referrals. Talk to their previous customers for a unique perspective into how the roofer operates.
Jeffery Masias is a good example of everything that’s wrong in the roofing industry but there are more good guys in roofing than bad. Use the steps above and more to only hire the best roofing contractor.
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