JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Editor’s Note: Father & Sons Fence Co. in Jacksonville, owned by Glen Northrup, is not affiliated with any other business — including those with the same or similar names.
The News4JAX I-TEAM is receiving even more complaints about a Jacksonville fencing company accused of taking deposits and not doing the job.
The I-TEAM began reporting on Father and Sons Fence Co. in June, and this week, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office got an arrest warrant for the owner, Glen Northrup. He turned himself in on Wednesday.
The I-TEAM has been keeping track of customers who tell us they gave money to Father and Son’s Fence Co. and the company never did the job. That file keeps getting thicker and thicker. Before we reported Wednesday that there was an arrest warrant, there were 12 people who came forward to us. Now it’s closer to 20.
When he needed a new fence, Jacksonville Beach resident Jason Varney thought he was dealing with a reputable company.
“We were referred by our friends,” Varney said. “They just did a fence project for them and it actually worked out really well.”
That was in mid-May. But when June rolled around and the start date passed, Varney said, the owner stopped responding and he got skeptical of the company.
“Waited for a few days, called him, no response, left him a message. Did the same thing the day after and the day after that,” Varney said. “And that’s when I actually stumbled on the initial article.”
Varney paid a 50% deposit — about $2,400 — money that seemingly disappeared.
“It was frustrating, and I’m sure that a lot of other people felt the same way,” Varney said.
PREVIOUS I-TEAM REPORTS: Customers out thousands of dollars after paying deposits for fence work that wasn’t done | Owner of fence company at center of I-TEAM investigation turns self in after arrest warrant issued | As fence company owner jailed, customers looking for money
The I-TEAM also spoke with a woman on Westside said she who paid $5,700 — a check Northrup cashed — for a job his company didn’t start.
The I-TEAM on Thursday obtained the arrest warrant for Northrup. In the warrant, detectives claim that Northrup took nearly $20,000 from customers.
“Mr. Northrup would provide a litany of excuses including COVID illness, material issues and manpower while promising the job would be started soon. At some point, Mr. Northrup stopped taking phone calls from angry victims,” investigators wrote in the report.
Northrup, 63, is charged with organized fraud. He bonded out of the Duval County jail on Thursday night.
As more people tell the I-TEAM they had previously not reported him but are now contacting police, Varney hopes they get justice.
“I can imagine that people are in tight times these last couple of years with COVID and now everything that’s happening in the economy, inflation,” Varney said. “It’s not been an easy run at owning a business. But you just hope that people have more ethics and morals than to just take people’s money and run.”
He hired another company to install his fence, and because he used a credit card to pay the deposit, he’s hoping that disputing the charges will get him his $2,400 deposit back.
Northrup has not returned our calls, but in an interview in June, he said that he wasn’t trying to steal from anyone and promised to complete the job or pay everyone back.
If you are a customer who paid Northrup for work that was not completed, email the I-TEAM at iteam@wjxt.com.