JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More customers of the Jacksonville office for Honest Abe Roofing are being hit with hefty liens.
The News4JAX I-TEAM reported last month that the owner of the Jacksonville office of Honest Abe Roofing laid off all its employees, including some in Southeast Georgia. Since then, customers other customers said they also have been stuck with unfinished work, leaks and liens put on their homes.
Shaylea Crutchfield and her boyfriend needed a new roof this summer for their North Beach home and signed a contract with Honest Abe Roofing in May.
“They were one of the only ones that offered us the financing of what we needed. Because we needed at least you know, 30 plus 1,000. And they did offer us the entire amount with their outside financing company to finance it,” Crutchfield said.
Little did they know, the Jacksonville franchise would go out of business in October — and they would be hit with a lien on their home just last week.
Crutchfield said she has concerns about how long it’s taken to file the lien.
“It’s been well over four months, like four months, and then now you’re gonna come after our house? Because you weren’t paid by? You know, I don’t understand,” she said.
Crutchfield said this whole situation has been very emotional for her and her boyfriend.
“He inherited this house from his grandmother. This, you know, this was his grandmother’s house. And he’s been here in this house for over 20 years,” Crutchfield said.
The lien lists three other addresses: Honest Abe’s and two other homes in Jacksonville. The total amount is $67,000 but Crutchfield has lots of questions she can’t get answered.
Crutchfield said she has reached out to Honest Abe and their support line and all she’s heard is — nothing.
“You don’t talk to a real person. It’s an automated line that sends you through all these loops. And you may get to like where you can leave a voicemail. And that’s it. There’s nothing,” she said.
The situation is upsetting for Crutchfield who’s on the line for $600 in monthly payments.
The roof work is not even finished, and she has to pay upwards of $5,000 to replace the under-trim that is rotting and should have been taken care of by Honest Abe.
“I want them to own up [to] what they did. I want to know what happened to all that money and why you didn’t pay your workers. Because $40,000 just doesn’t disappear,” Crutchfield said.
The News4JAX I-TEAM called the Jacksonville office and left a voicemail for the owner on Tuesday.
An ex-employee called back after hearing the voicemail to tell us he still gets the message forwarding and hears anywhere from 10 to 20 voicemails daily from upset customers who were left behind during the closures.
News4JAX also reached out to Honest Abe’s corporate office in Indiana but we have not heard back from them yet.