You may ask, “why the ‘STILL (STILL)’ in the title?”. Unfortunately, this is not the first, or second, and certainly not the last time we will report on this.

Over the past few years, we have written a lot about the Florida roofing scams that continue to plague homeowners.

Breaking, Assignment of Benefits Abuse Plaques Florida Homeowners

Protecting Yourself from a Roofing Insurance Scam

Florida Roofing Scams Continue

Florida Roofing Scams STILL Continue

We care about our local communities and want to protect our neighbors, friends, and clients from these criminals. A growing number of individuals are trying to profit from the insurance claims process by convincing unsuspecting homeowners that they need a new roof. Unfortunately, Florida roofing scams continue.

This Time It’s Too Close to Home…

We have seen stories from all over the State, but this time 2 men were arrested in Jacksonville.

According to News4Jax,  two Jacksonville brothers who ran a roofing business have been arrested, accused of scamming dozens of people in several Northeast Florida counties out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Adolph and John Carlson are charged with running an organized scheme to defraud someone of over $100,000 and engaging in an organized scheme to defraud — both first-degree felonies. The brothers own Carlson Roofing, which has been the subject of several I-TEAM reports over the past year.

The brothers, 44 and 41 years old, were arrested Tuesday in Duval County and held without bond. They made their first appearances before a judge Wednesday afternoon.

Patricia Tauch, who owns Orange Park Kindergarten, said she was victimized by Carlson Enterprises.

“They can’t take advantage of us like that and expect nothing to happen,” Tauch told the I-TEAM on Wednesday. “People trusted them and put their faith in them to do what they said they were going to do, and they didn’t do it.”

The I-TEAM first talked with Tauch in March 2018. Her daycare was damaged in Hurricane Irma, and she explained that her business paid Carlson more than $16,000 for work that wasn’t started.

Last year, the Construction Industry Licensing Board took up 65 cases against Adolph Carlson, of Carlson Enterprises. He was accused of taking money from dozens of customers and then abandoning the jobs.  Customers filed complaints with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which then investigated the allegations.

In April 2018, the Florida Attorney General’s Office sued Carlson Enterprises over its business practices. The state also asked a judge to freeze the company’s assets, which the judge agreed to do.  That lawsuit is ongoing.

If you have had problems Carlson Enterprises, you can file complaints with the following organizations and agencies:

• Better Business Bureau of Northeast Florida: Carlson Enterprises
• Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
• Florida Office of the Attorney General

If you are hiring a roofer, you can check the state’s website to make sure the business is licensed by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

The Better Business Bureau’s website also offers advice for consumers on hiring a roofing contractor in Florida.

How To Prevent This From Happening To You

Make sure you take these three steps first in protecting yourself from a roofing insurance scam.

1. Beware of anyone who solicits your business or tries to convince you they can get you something for free.

2. Don’t sign contracts you don’t fully understand. Many companies only require you to sign a work authorization form. Any contract that states “assignment of benefits” is something that needs to be read carefully to fully understand the impact on you.

3. Understand your coverage. Insurance is for sudden unexpected events not for normal wear-and-tear.

Get The Facts

If you want to learn more about the details of how this insurance scam works and how to avoid it, then watch the video below. This is part of our #WhiteboardWednesday series aimed at informing Florida homeowners. Hope this helps. If you want to discuss AOB or your current insurance policies, then contact us by clicking the button below.

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Florida Home Insurance Experts

For almost 15 years, PBIG has been helping Florida residents by getting them the right coverage at the right price. We are locally owned, have a casual approach, and deliver professional results. Click below to get a no-hassle, free quote from one of our experts.