Widow shouldn’t have trusted roofer
Three ladders and a toolbox are all a Penticton senior has to show for the $4,000 she paid a contractor to put a new roof on her house.
Now, having finally abandoned all hope of getting her money back, Linda Leschniok is sharing her story as a warning to others.
The 79-year-old widower last fall noticed moss growing on her cedar shake roof and called a local company to take a look.
The inspection resulted in a $7,980 quote to replace her roof.
Upon the recommendation of a neighbour, Leschniok then called Tim Taylor of Valley Exteriors for another estimate.
Taylor’s bid came in lower at $7,600, so Leschniok hired him.
She said Taylor immediately asked for $4,000 cash to purchase materials. Having never before hired a roofing contractor, Leschniok complied on Nov. 23, 2016.
And because her neighbour recommended him, Leschniok didn’t think to ask Taylor for references or credentials. Plus, his appearance and demeanour didn’t raise any red flags.
“That’s why I trusted him: Because he seemed normal,” she said.
Taylor showed up at her home just before Christmas to drop off three ladders and a toolbox, and said he planned to start work soon.
That was the last she saw of him.
January arrived with no new roof and Leschniok began to worry, so she phoned Taylor.
“He said, ‘Oh, as soon as the weather’s better,’ he was going to come. Then, I phoned him again and he said, ‘Oh, next week.’ Next week came and he never came,” she recalled.
“I kept phoning and phoning until finally he unplugged the phone or the (voicemail) was full.”
Taylor, who hasn’t had a business licence from the City of Penticton since 2015, didn’t return calls from The Herald, either, but did respond to a Facebook message on Sept. 13.
“I did rip her off. I got really sick and am waiting for prostate surgery. I have all intentions of completing her house or reimbursing her. I just completely forgot about it with all the ins and outs of the hospital and dealing with all the doctors,” Taylor wrote.
“I’ve been out of commission for the last eight months. I’m in Alberta right now and when I get back I plan on dealing with Linda (sic).”
Taylor said he expected to arrive in Penticton on Sept. 18, but, as of Sunday, Leschniok hadn’t heard from him.
According to the Roofing Contractors Association of B.C. — of which Taylor is not a member — Leschniok should have walked away as soon as he asked for $4,000.
“When jobs proceed, generally a 10 per cent deposit upon acceptance of a quote is the industry standard, any more than this could imply cash flow challenges from the contractor,” technical adviser Hamish Matheson said in a statement.
He went on to suggest consumers take some simple steps to ensure they get the roof they pay for, including checking references, ensuring their contractor is in good standing with WorkSafeBC and holds a business licence and liability insurance, and employs either Red Seal journeymen or staff with a TQ certificate from the association.
Matheson also recommended consumers take into consideration how long a company has been in business and whether or not it has a physical location, plus hire a third-party inspector to check the company’s work prior to final payment.
“Most clients (obviously for safety reasons) never go on the roof to have a look at things,” said Matheson, “and there has been occasions where contractors take advantage of this at the client’s expense.”