Wake County roofer ordered to pay $500,000
WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Business owner Brian William Smith has been the center of several Troubleshooter investigations for taking money from homeowners for roofing jobs, but not delivering on the goods.
He's owned the companies GBS Roofing and Eagle Roofing and Restoration. On Wednesday, a judge ordered Smith of Eagle Roofing and Restoration to pay $148,308.57 in restitution to consumers, and pay up to $366,709 in civil penalties and investigation costs.
The default judgments also permanently bar Smith from operating home repair businesses in North Carolina and banned him from assisting consumers with insurance claims.
Read more about the judgement here.
I first did a story on Smith back in October of 2013. Then, he had a roofing company called GBS Roofing.
After complaints about GBS Roofing piled up, Smith shut that company down and started Eagle Roofing and Restoration. I continued to hear from homeowners who told me they gave Smith thousands of dollars upfront for roofing jobs that he never completed.
In April of 2014, a judge ordered Smith to not take any money upfront on jobs.
In April of 2014, Smith told me he had a cash flow problem but he was not running from his responsibilities. He said he would complete the jobs, which never happened. Instead, he's never shown up in court.
According to N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper's office, Smith's location is not known. Cooper's office says they will work to collect on the judgments and return refunds to consumers. Consumers who have information about either of these companies violating court orders barring them from business in North Carolina are encouraged to contact the Consumer Protection Division by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.
Here are some steps to take before your hire someone for home repairs:
