‘I need help;’ Homeowner says contractor took $2,000, never started work

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A homeowner is desperate for help after he says a contractor took his money and ran.

He’s left dealing with a roof that’s crumbling apart and starting to mold from water leaks.

Albert Jefferson has been dealing with a crumbling roof, water leaks, and now mold at his home on East 140th Street in Cleveland the last three months.

He says it all started back in June from severe weather.

When he looked online to find a contractor, he found someone by the name of “Shawn” from Quality Choice Roofing.

“He sounded legit,” said Jefferson. “He had a card and wrote down his estimate and everything and he came back. And when he came back he dropped off half the material.”

Jefferson ended up giving him $2,000 in cash as a deposit for a nearly $6,000 project.

But once Jefferson gave that money, he never heard from Shawn again.

Now, he’s left with a disaster, worried it’s affecting his family’s health.

“My mother’s here, my step father’s here, and they in the house and mildew and mold is coming in,” said Jefferson. “It’s affecting our lives.”

Jefferson filed a police report with Cleveland Police, but hasn’t heard any update on the case.

So we tried getting in contact with Shawn using the number on his business card. The number is no longer in service.

After trying to email him, we discovered it’s fake email address too.

It seems this “Quality Choice Roofing” never existed, and it’s not looking good that Jefferson will ever get his money back.

Now, he’s hoping his story serves as a warning for others.

“If he did it to me, he might do it to someone else.”

At this point, Jefferson says he’s just looking for someone with a generous heart to help him out.

He can’t afford to pay for his roof repairs after losing $2,000.

He’s hoping someone with the right experience might be able to fix some of his roof, or point him in the direction of where to get some financial assistance.

Copyright 2023 WOIO. All rights reserved.