Local Birmingham Attorney Stands Up against Uncompleted Rooftop Construction
Local Birmingham attorney Randy Quarles is speaking out after several clients have accused a contractor of accepting payment for roofing work and then subsequently failing to complete the work. Many of these clients are now left without the funds to hire a replacement, leaving their homes and families in jeopardy.
Contractor Reputation Scrutinized
Joey Ellis, owner of Storm Team Construction, LLC, has been paid for multiple construction jobs around the Birmingham metro area but has allegedly neglected to finish the contracted work. One of the latest victims of Ellis’ uncompleted work, Natalie Mapson, accuses Ellis of not only taking over $12,000 from her but then also failing to replace her roof. She specifically chose to hire Ellis because of their shared church membership.
Previous Cases Shed Light on Contractor’s Pattern
According to Quarles, his client pursued Ellis in a lawsuit a few years ago. At the time of the suit, it came to light that Ellis had a history of similar issues, with several people having charged Ellis with the same pattern of misconduct. In 2019, his client received a default judgment against Ellis since Ellis failed to defend himself against the accusations.
“We found out that Mr. Ellis had a history of very similar problems with other people,” says Quarles. “At the time of our lawsuit, we had found five or six earlier ones going back to 2015, 2016, and I’ve seen a couple since then, following the same pattern.” Despite his client being able to recover some money, not all of Ellis’ clients have been so lucky.
Importance of Licensed Contracting
The circumstance sheds light on the crucial importance of hiring only licensed contractors. The Home Builders Licensure Board encourages people to report unlicensed contractors, as those found working without a license could face a misdemeanor. While it remains unclear whether Ellis possesses a license, the predicaments of his past and present clients highlight why it’s essential to ensure that contractors are licensed.
Where To Go From Here: Pursuing Legal Action And The Road To Recovery
The rights and remedies for Ellis’ victims remain somewhat uncertain. Quarles explains,” “Even if it’s just a misdemeanor, it’s still a way to have some law enforcement aspect to it, but from our experience, there isn’t much you can do about it other than try to find somebody else to put the roof on for you.” Meanwhile, the affected homeowners are left with incomplete roofing projects.
Mapson, for instance, now lacks all necessary materials for her roof’s completion, as Ellis apparently retained them. Adding a slight silver lining to her ordeal, another contractor reached out to Mapson offering assistance after the Monday night reporting of her predicament. Now moving forward, she is careful to take more precautionary steps against such contractor fraud.
