JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Following several I-TEAM reports on Monday's arrest of Kinnecorps, LLC owner Roger Van Den Bosch on felony charges which include fraud and grand theft, a retired combat veteran has contacted us to say his troubles with the company go beyond a leaky roof.
I-TEAM REPORTS ON ROGER VAN DEN BOSCH:
Loophole in Florida insurance law | Questions about licenses & permits
"You can see where the panel or particle board is damp," Navy veteran Jimmy Lee showed us Friday morning.
Lee said after he and his insurance company paid Kinnecorps a total of $16,000 to put a new metal roof on his home on Jacksonville's Westside, it leaks in several places and he could be on the hook for an unpaid bill from a subcontractor who Kinnecorps hired.
It was back in April when Lee wrote an $11,000 check to Kinnecorps, after getting money from his insurance company. Lee said that check was cashed in one day, but the work on his roof didn't start until September.
Lee said he paid an additional $5,000 (bringing the total amount paid to Kinnecorps to $16,000) for his deductible and because his new roof was metal, and Kinnecorps hired subcontractor Carlos Morales to install it. However, court documents show Kinnecorps never paid Morales $5,480 for his work, and as a result, Morales took action against the Lees.
"He put a lien on my house against me, my wife because Kinnecorps had not given him the money he had been promised to do the work," Lee explained.
Lee says he contacted the I-TEAM after learning Van Den Bosch was arrested Dec.17 on five felony charges.
State investigators say Van Den Bosch defrauded customers by requesting they sign an assignment of benefits (AOB) to allow his company to accept payment from the insurance company for roofing repairs. Once the payments were received and checks cashed, investigators say neither Van Den Bosch nor his employees at Kinnecorps performed the contracted work. They also say Van Den Bosch forged the signatures of his clients on insurance checks and pocketed advanced payments. He's accused of defrauding clients out of $50,398.
Lee said Van Den Bosch billed his insurance company $3,000 for an air inspection that Lee said he was unaware of and did not approve. This may have been possible because Lee did sign the Assignment of Benefits agreement.
Lee tells us he feels victimized for something that is not his fault.
"I owe more money to people who weren’t paid by Kinnecorps. I’m sure that’s going to affect my credit and my standing with everyone else," said Lee. "To me, people who go out and do business should be honorable people."
Van Den Bosch was released on bond Thursday. The I-TEAM reached out to him multiple times for comment and will update this story if we hear back.
Meantime, state investigators say if convicted of all five felony charges, Van Den Bosch faces up to 85 years in prison. And, a state insurance fraud investigator confirmed with the I-TEAM Friday that he plans on interviewing Jimmy Lee about his situation next week.
If you have an issue involving Kinnecorps, you can file complaints with the following organizations and agencies:
- Florida Chief Financial Officer: Call 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236) and ask to file a complaint
The BBB’s website also offers advice for consumers on hiring a roofing contractor in Florida.