Friday, August 24, 2012

Elderly Homeowner Left Having To Pay Twice For Same Roof After Now-Defunct Contractor Stiffs Materials Supplier

In Kensington Park, Florida, the Sarasota Herald Tribune reports:
  • Beverly Boganrief is hopping mad. A retired Kensington Park resident living on social security, Boganrief said she could not believe it when a Tampa company that sells roofing supplies slapped a mechanics lien on her house demanding payment of $3,000 by Aug. 31.

    Boganrief said she paid $6,000 for a new roof in March and it is not her fault if the now defunct Harbour Roofing did not pay its bill Gulfeagle Supply.

    But sprawled across the top of the letter she received from Gulfeagle’s attorney on Aug. 10 are the words:

    WARNING! FLORIDA’S CONSTRUCTION LIEN LAW ALLOWS SOME UNPAID CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS AND MATERIAL SUPPLIERS TO FILE LIENS AGAINST YOUR PROPERTY EVEN IF YOU HAVE MADE PAYMENT IN FULL.

    Calls to to Gulfeagle’s Tampa headquarters and to its St. Petersburg attorney Robert E. Burguieres were not returned.

    As far as Boganrief is concerned, Florida Eagle and Burguieres are simply harassing seniors in the hope they can be bullied into paying for something twice.

    I’m really upset,” Boganrief said. “This is not my debt. I already paid $6,000 for a brand new roof and I can’t help it if the man who was supposed to pay his bill did not pay it.” “I wonder how many more people are being harassed by this company,” she asked.