Posted on 09/18/2025 12:17:37 PM PDT by xxqqzz
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Jacksonville-based roofing company at the center of a Better Call Behnken investigation has been sued by the Florida Attorney General’s Office over a “scheme” that involves “frivolous” liens and lawsuits it filed against its customers in multiple Tampa Bay counties.
The lawsuit seeks restitution and to terminate “illegal construction liens” and to permanently prohibit the company from doing any of the things it takes to sell and install roofs in the state of Florida.
The AG has been investigating Florida Roof Specialists since at least September 2024 and has 137 consumer complaints. The lawsuit also named the company’s president, Jeremy S. Rogero, as a defendant.
Pinellas man says $24,000 roof turned into nearly $50 grand, foreclosure lawsuit Calls to the Florida Roof Specialists and its attorney, seeking comment for this story, have not been returned.
A growing number of customers have called Better Call Behnken for help after Florida Roof Specialists filed liens against their homes or sued them for foreclosure, attempting to collect money the company claimed the homeowners’ insurance companies did not pay them for roofs that were already completed. Most homeowners have settled cases to avoid foreclosure.
Customers said they were misled and were charged questionable fees after their insurance companies paid the roofing company. In some cases, customers were charged nearly the same amount their insurance companies already paid.
The lawsuit claims the “scheme” was in violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and seeks “more than $50,000” in damages and attorney’s fees.
According to the lawsuit, sales representatives targeted specific neighborhoods for door-to-door solicitation, often after a storm.
(Excerpt) Read more at wfla.com ...
Ping!...............
Never heard of ‘em, but they’re right up the road from me in Baymeadows.
Florida roofing companies are predators. They began knocking on my door immediately after my first roof was 10 years old. Scram!!!! I told them. When I did replace the roof at 18 years, it wasn’t with a single roofer who knocked on my door. My roof is three now so I’d imagine the knocks will begin again in 7 or so years. Grrrr.
I put a very harsh no soliciting sign on my door.
Whether a state government requires licenses or not, we still have the scoundrels. Get the government out of the licensing business and let the market manage the industry through competition.
Regardless, the bad actors will still get prosecuted.
It says they would go door to door after a hurricane. Tell people it would be paid for by insurance. Then bill the insurance company for $25K or so, which the insured and insurance company thought was the whole price. Then sue the homeowner for another $25K or so, get liens, and start foreclosure proceeding. Then most customers would pay. Has to be pretty bad to get the Attorney General involved.
“…$25K or so, which the insured and insurance company thought was the whole price.”
Holy cow! Is that how much a new roof costs there? There must have been damage to the rafters and insulation to get it up there.
We just had our roof replaced. Asphalt shingles, about 6800 sq ft of roof, nearly 60k. Tampa suburb.
The owner of that roofing company is Ruben Dionisio Lavarias. Some of these Hispanics will try things more outrageous that Americans wouldn’t think of doing.
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