- Citizen Watchdog:
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Bedford man got taken for a
ride on driveway job
- 12:00 AM CDT on Tuesday,
April 15, 2008
Lenny Peck says he'll be more cautious next time he
hires a company to work at his house.
Last summer, the Bedford resident paid an $800 deposit for a
new driveway. His check was cashed, but the work was never
done. He called the company for weeks – no response.
Fed up, he filed a report in October with the Bedford Police
Department and lodged a complaint with the Better Business
Bureau. The BBB notified Mr. Peck that its letter to the
company was returned because of an invalid address.
Payment for work never done is one of many reasons behind
the nearly 500 complaints filed with the Texas attorney
general about contractors and home repair companies since
2006.
Mr. Peck said his case is still not resolved and he plans to
file a complaint with the attorney general.
He did many of the things consumer groups suggest. He
checked the BBB for complaints against the company but found
none. He also got three estimates.
Next time, he said, he'll do more. He'll ask for references
and go look at the work himself. And he won't pay upfront
again.
"Before you hire anyone, especially in areas that you are
unfamiliar, research the contractors," said Julie Lyssy of
the BBB in Fort Worth.
Both the BBB and the attorney general's office warn against
using door-to-door repair companies. The attorney general's
office also suggests choosing a company with a physical
address, not just a cellphone number, so you know you're
dealing with an established company.
"Ask if they are bonded and insured and ask for work
references," said Tom Kelley, a spokesman for the attorney
general's office.
If a company claims to belong to a trade association, check
it out.
Several Texas agencies license professionals who work on
homes and have searchable databases on their Web sites. Here
are some of them:
The Texas Residential Construction Commission licenses
homebuilders and remodeling companies. The Texas State Board
of Plumbing Examiners licenses plumbers. The Texas
Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses air
conditioning contractors and electricians.
And the Texas Department of Agriculture licenses pest
control companies and workers. We've made the agency's data
searchable on dallasnews.com.
Both the attorney general's office and the BBB Web sites
provide more guidelines for consumers, and you can file a
complaint with both organizations. The attorney general's
office also has a consumer protection hotline at
1-800-621-0508.
The BBB provides a searchable database of companies that are
members or for which it has received complaints.
"Just don't leap," said Ms. Lyssy. "Know that you are
working with someone that has a history of providing quality
service."
For links to agency databases, see
www.dallasnews.com/watchdog.
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Driveway resurface scam surfaces in Mohave County
By JIM SECKLER/The Daily News
Thursday, March 13, 2008 10:57 PM CDT
They say they are with a local building supply store and
were in the neighborhood attempting to reduce an over stock
of resurfacing material. The suspects performed the work,
but they used an inexpensive material that looks like the
finished driveway. The material used is able to be rubbed
off.
The suspects were seen in a white sport utility vehicle that
has a decal on both sides. The first suspect, calling
himself Michael Ray, is described as being a white man,
tall, thin, clean cut, wearing a red T-shirt and jeans. The
second suspect, calling himself Jay, is described as being
shorter with a shaved head, wearing a white shirt and jeans,
Cooper said.
Detectives believe the suspects travel from town to town
throughout the country. KPD urges anyone who is solicited
for this type of work or any other work to ask for
identification, a name of a supervisor and their business
license, and to never pay in advance. The suspects asked for
cash and would not accept checks or credit card.
Anyone with information is urged to contact KPD at
928-753-2191
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- WBR man suspected in driveway scam
Advocate River parishes bureau
Published: Feb 23, 2008
Deputies are searching for a West Baton Rouge
Parish man suspected of scamming a senior citizen out of $5,500 for a
concrete driveway job, according to an Ascension Parish Sheriff’s
Office news release issued Friday.
Chief Deputy Tony Bacala said in the release a warrant for one count of
felony theft by fraud was issued for Ezzie Ray Spencer Stanley, 19,
3734 S. Riverview Drive, Port Allen.
A Gonzales man said Stanley approached him at his home on Jan. 4 about
doing repairs to his concrete driveway, Bacala said.
The two agreed on a price of $3,000, but after Stanley did the work,
Stanley insisted that he had to use more asphalt than he originally
estimated and that the cost would be higher, Bacala said.
The victim went ahead and paid Stanley the entire $5,500 that Stanley
demanded, Bacala said.
After obtaining several estimates from legitimate asphalt contractors,
investigators concluded that Stanley overcharged the householder for
the driveway job, Bacala said.
Anyone with information about Stanley’s whereabouts is asked to call
the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office at (225) 621-8300 or Crime
Stoppers at (225) 344-STOP.
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Driveways: the new front
door
01/27/2008
- KERB appeal is the
traditional watchword for homeowners who want to sell their properties
– and that means that your front entrance should be welcoming and
appealing.
But these days, notes Berry Everitt, MD of the Chas Everitt
International property group, increasing numbers of homes are hidden
behind six-foot walls.
This means that any visitor’s first glimpse of your home is of the
entrance gates and driveway instead of the front door.
And for many sellers that could be a problem.
Developers nowadays pay more attention to driveways, especially in
high-density complexes where they form part of the hard landscaping;
older properties often have ill-defined examples.
“Sometimes they are little more than two dusty tracks with an unruly
middelmannetjie or a dull expanse of concrete with weeds growing in the
cracks.”
Writing in the Property Signposts newsletter, Everitt offers the
following ideas to upgrade your driveway if you want to increase the
value of your property or simply make it more appealing to visitors.
Bear in mind that first impressions count!
l A layer of gravel is probably the cheapest option and can look neat
if edged by bricks or concrete to contain the stones. It needs a fair
degree of maintenance to keep the gravel looking decent.
l Tar and concrete may be visually unappealing, but both are durable
and can be enhanced by creating an “avenue” of large shrubs or small
trees along the verges.
Strategically placed clay or ceramic pots with bright annuals are also
a quick fix to make a dreary stretch of concrete or tar look more
inviting.
l Crazy paving is not beyond the scope of the average handyman and is a
cost-effective option if you can lay your hands on a sufficient supply
of broken bricks
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- County probing driveway problem
January 08, 2008 09:57 pm
By Sonny Turner
sonny@athensnews-courier.com
Charlie Engel thought he was getting a good deal last month when he
agreed to let a man pave his gravel driveway with asphalt for $2,000.
Instead, he says, it’s been a nightmare.
“I paid all this money for nothing more than a bunch of black rocks,”
Engel, a civil engineer, said Tuesday. “All I’ve got is loose rock and
a little tar.”
Engel’s driveway at 2224 U.S. 31 South in Athens is falling apart. To
prove his point, he reaches down to his driveway – all the way down to
the dirt – and scoops up a handful of gravel.
Engel filed a complaint with Limestone County Revenue Enhancement
Officer Rodney Jackson, who said he is investigating whether the
contractor is licensed. Jackson identified the contractor as county
resident Tony Smith. Smith said he has a license to operate and plans
to present papers to Jackson to prove it.
“I’m trying to verify if he has a license,” Jackson said. “I’ve talked
to Mr. Smith and he says Mr. Engel bought the material, which he says
was sub-par.”
Engel said he gave Smith $700 to buy the materials after Smith came to
him saying he did not have the money to finish the job.
“I gave him the money and he was supposed to buy the stuff,” Engel
added.
Engel said Smith has refused to correct the mess. He said he doubts he
will hire a lawyer because of the additional cost.
A spokeswoman for Smith said Engel received a good deal and that the
job was finished with a signed contract. She said Engel still owes $400.
“I did not cheat that man out of a dollar,” said the woman, who
declined to give her name. “He was told that we had an equipment break
down and we would come back later when the weather warms up to recap it
if he would pay us the rest of the money he owed. Instead, he wanted us
off his property and had another contractor come over to his house and
he dug a hole in the middle of the parking lot. He got a cheap job. A
driveway like that costs $3,500.”
“What happened is the tar did not bond to the gravel because it was not
hot enough,” Engel said. “Take that, plus his roller quit on him and he
had to roll the driveway with a dump truck. He told me he had to roll
it with something or it would be ruined.”
Engel claims that when Smith approached him about paving his driveway,
he was led to believe the contractor was going to pave it with left
over asphalt from another job.
“He tore the driveway apart and then said his Bobcat quit and he needed
$300 to rent one. I gave him the money for that, and then he tells me
he needs another $700 for asphalt. I gave him that too. I gave him two
checks — one for $400 and one for $600. I dated the $400 check to Feb.
21 and was able to stop payment on that. I ended up paying him $1,600.”
Engel said he trusted the contractor. “I paid him the remaining $1,000
before inspecting the driveway,” he said. “Now, they say it’s going to
cost me $3,300 to correct the mess.”
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The Hole Story
Last year my wife and I hired an asphalt company to install a circle
driveway. We handed over our savings of $4,000 to this company’s
president, who assured us he would do a good job.
Within six months cracks and holes began to appear in the asphalt. I
called the owner, who assured me he would come over and “check it out.”
This began an almost weekly phone conversation and assurances the
problem would be fixed.
More than seven months later, nothing has been done. I get a new excuse
every time. The driveway is barely a year old and is falling apart. I
have had two other asphalt companies look at the work. They both
indicated that the asphalt company did not put enough asphalt down and
that my driveway would not survive another winter, and for a couple of
thousand dollars, I could get it fixed. — C.M., Prairie Village
DEAR C.M.: You told us that you had hired CAPCO Inc. to do the work.
The president of the company confirmed that he had graded and paved
your driveway and a concrete approach was installed in May 2006.
The owner said he had notified you that the drive needed to have a seal
coat applied to protect the new surface within 60 days of the work
being done. This is a standard procedure on all asphalt surfacing, he
said. It was never done. He also said there had been no complaints by
phone or writing suggesting any workmanship or material defects within
that 60-day time frame. (He made no comment on your assertions that you
had called numerous times about the condition of the driveway.) He also
said they were never notified about contracting to do the follow-up
seal coat application.
The company claims it constructed the approach on 79th Street, but not
the approach on Nall. The owner said that one of the pictures you
provided was labeled “Concrete approach on Nall.” He said his company
installed only one approach, and it was on the 79th street side. The
approach that you were talking about was already there before the
company’s work, and no changes were made by his company, the owner said.
The owner sent us pictures that he claimed verify that the new driveway
was installed properly. We sent you those pictures and the company’s
comments.
If you disagree with the company, you may need to have an independent
authority help or file a claim in small claims court.
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Now, a driveway that spins 180 degrees to
solve reversing problems
December 31st, 2007 - 3:07 pm ICT by admin-
Having problems reversing your car out of the driveway because of the
parked cars? Well, you can kiss your problem goodbye, for a driveway
has been developed that spins 180 degrees.
The car turntable, which arrived in Scotland for the first time, allows
parked cars to face the right direction, which facilitates its
movability.
The turntable takes more than a month to install and involves digging a
3ft deep hole to accommodate its concrete base and cylinder.
<>The device is topped with Caithness stone to match an adjacent
path.
The British Turntable Company said this was the first of its turntables
to be installed in Scotland, but it had since had several inquiries.
<>A spokeswoman for the firm said the revolutionary system helped
people beat local parking problems
“Inquiries and sales are steady year-on-year, but they are not selling
in huge numbers, The Scotsman quoted the spokeswoman, as saying.
<>“However, the turntable does solve quite a few problems in
relation to access to domestic properties, she added.
The ultimate auto accessory for the driver costs 7,500 pounds.
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Two Arrested In Driveway Paving Scam
(December 7, 2007)—Two men were in custody Friday in Bell County in
connection with what Bell County sheriff’s investigators said was a
driveway paving scam that targeted senior citizens.
The Bell County Sheriff’s Office says it has investigated three cases
in which elderly residents were approached with a “too good to be true”
paving offer.
The individuals claimed to have asphalt left over from a contract job
for the Texas Department of Transportation and offered to pave
driveways for prices ranging from $1,500 to $2,500.
They did the work, but then they insisted on payments ranging from
$7,000 to $9,000 and then intimidated or threatened the residents in
order to get the money, the sheriff’s office said.
All three cases were reported in rural Bell County, near Belton.
Deputies arrested Perren Boswell, 32, and Christopher Sherlock, 47, on
warrants charging two counts of felony theft.
Both were in the Bell County Jail Friday afternoon.
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Scam targets seniors
Con artists pitch driveway sealant
By Angela Jones
The Winchester Star
WINCHESTER — City residents should be on the lookout for a scam making
its way through the area.
Winchester Sheriff Lenny W. Millholland reported on Monday that a
driveway-sealing scam has hit the area, costing some people thousands
of dollars.
Millholland said those perpetrating the scheme are coercing residents —
especially the elderly — into allowing them to put a sealant on their
driveways.
Those who have fallen victim to the scam were told their driveways
would be sealed for $4, only to receive subsequent bills for much more.
Millholland said one person received a bill for $900.
Another paid $125 for the original service and was later told that she
needed a "winter coat" on the driveway — at a cost of $1,900.
According to Millholland, the scammers threatened to turn their
customers into a collection agency when they refused to pay.
Through the utilization of strong-arm tactics, the residents felt
threatened to the point that they paid the fees, he said.
The substance being used on the driveways is not sealant. "It takes a
long time to fix the damages," Millholland said.
The sheriff said Winchester residents should be mindful that these
individuals are out there misrepresenting themselves.
Those interested in having their driveways sealed should contact a
reputable company that will provide a written contract of the services
to be completed.
Residents should also completely understand the scope of the work
before the job begins.
Millholland said the fact that people are scamming senior citizens
"infuriates" him.
"The last thing we want is to have people taking advantage of the
elderly," he said.
For tips on hiring a reputable contractor, visit the Federal Trade
Commission’s Web site at www.ftc.gov.
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Residents ticketed in their own driveways
11:44 PM CST on Thursday, November 15, 2007
By Jason Whitely / 11 News
James Ball has trouble figuring it out.
“Every time I pull in the driveway,” Ball explained, “Me and my wife
are breaking the law!”
Last Thursday he and his wife got two parking tickets for parking in
their own driveway.
“I read on the ticket where we are blocking the sidewalk,” he
continued, “and I’m like ‘Yes, I am blocking the sidewalk. But this is
my sidewalk. I’m not parked illegally in any way.’” Come to find it, he
is. So are many of his neighbors.
Several others received similar citations in their own driveways in
recent weeks for blocking sidewalks, too.
The City of Houston neither builds nor maintains sidewalks in
subdivisions. Developers build them. Homeowners maintain them.
But even on private property, city ordinances say your vehicle can not
block a sidewalk or hang over it.
“We have citizens call our office,” said Maria Irshad, City of Houston
Parking Management. “They’re upset. They’re angry. ‘I was parked on my
driveway. You wrote me a ticket. Why are you writing me tickets when
I’m parked on my own driveway?’ What they don’t think is that there’s
an 8-year-old child walking down that sidewalk. When you’re blocking
the sidewalk you’re pushing them to the street.”
Last year the city started educating civic clubs and homeowners
associations about the old law where residents could be ticketed in
their own driveway.
“I’m an honest law abiding citizen and I’m being taken advantage of,”
Ball refuted. “This is a law I don’t think anybody can do anything
about.”
He plans to dispute the two $35 tickets he and his wife received saying
he’s stuck driving large vehicles in a short driveway, something the
city declares is against the law.
For questions about City of Houston Parking Management or to schedule a
“Parking 101” seminar for a civic club or HOA call 713-853-8100.
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Blacktop company didn't fix crumbling asphalt
driveway
November 11, 2007
My issue is with Richards Blacktop in Worth, Chicago. I called for
their services in April of this year, and they provided a prompt
response. Troy Wells, the owner, came out, surveyed and provided me a
competitive estimate immediately.
This no-nonsense approach earned them the project, and Richards
installed a new driveway in early May. I gave them final payment while
they were installing the asphalt. I had to go to work and figured it
was not an issue to pay upfront without a final inspection.
Unfortunately, I had an issue with an area about 5 feet square. The
asphalt was loose and breaking apart in this area. I immediately called
but had to leave a message. After four phone calls and 48 hours without
a response, I sensed a serious lack of customer service. Therefore, I
immediately put a stop payment on the check.
Lo and behold, almost three weeks later, my wife gets a call from
Sylvia, Troy's mother, requesting an appointment time to be set for
Troy to come out and take a look, assuring her that all problems will
be resolved.
Two days later, Troy comes out and surveys my concern of asphalt
peeling. He suggested that we drove on it. I told him nobody had driven
on it since it was installed. I suggested it's a bad section of
asphalt, but he disputed this and started speaking about his experience
with asphalt.
I am not proficient in this arena, but anybody could see that something
was wrong with this specific area.
Troy downplayed it and assured me of his one-year guarantee. He told me
that a good sealer would provide the solution to my concern, and the
asphalt peeling away would subside.
I allowed the sealing to occur at the end of May and provided them with
a check for the balance. The decaying slowed down for a while.
It is now October, and I have an area of loose asphalt that is twice as
large the original area. It will continue to degrade until there is a
pothole in my driveway, I am told by two other blacktop professionals
who said that could happen in about two years.
So, it looks like I just bought a driveway that will last only about
three years. Very, very frustrating.
I have been trying since mid-September to get someone from Richards to
return my call. I have called them at least six times since then.
I trusted these guys and gave them the benefit of the doubt, and it
seems I am getting burned. I believed the sealing of the driveway would
keep it from peeling, but it hasn't.
Jim Brady, Tinley Park-
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More complaints about asphalt company
Business may not be registered in state of Colorado
by Laurie Cipriano,
November 10, 2007
PARKER (KWGN) — Vince Grimard and some of his neighbors in Parker
decided to have their driveways paved earlier this summer, and hired
Mile High Paving to do the work.
"My neighbors and I checked the Better Business Bureau. Every complaint
said it had been resolved," said Vince Grimard.
But shortly after the job was done, Grimard started noticing cracks and
holes throughout his entire driveway. He soon discovered that the job
did not meet industry standards.
"It's an eighth of an inch thick," said Grimard. "This isn't near how
thick it's supposed to be."
The asphalt should be three inches thick throughout the driveway. So
Grimard filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, but he says
he's not getting much help.
"We take this very seriously," said Suzann Bacon, with Denver's Better
Business Bureau. "To be a member of the BBB, you need to agree to be
high on ethics and standards."
Grimard said Mile High Paving promised to stop by and review their
work, and fix it if there's a problem. But he says they just don't show
up.
"They said yeah, yeah we just haven't been in the area," said Grimard.
If the company doesn't follow through on their promises, it's important
to let the Better Business Bureau know as soon as possible.
"If the company says they are going to refund them money, or go out and
repair the work, and they don't do that, the consumer would need to
contact the BBB, so that we can reopen that case," said Bacon.
If that doesn't happen, there are consequences.
"If they're not following through on their promises and they're doing
substandard work, that yes, we are going to suspend their membership
and recommend them for revocation," said Bacon.
Last year the Denver Better Business Bureau revoked almost 100 company
memberships.
Right now, Grimard is planning to go to arbitration in an effort to
have his driveway repaved, or recover the $13,500 he paid for it.
News2 did some checking and it appears that Mile High Paving may not
even be a registered company in the state of Colorado.
Copyright © 2007, KWGN
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Possible scam involving paving targets elderly
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
By Lisa Medendorp
lmedendorp@muskegonchronicle.com
Three elderly Roosevelt Park residents recently were targeted in what
police believe may have been a scam involving driveway repaving.
Police Chief William Wiebenga said his department has two possible
suspects and an investigation is continuing.
"It's important for folks to know this is happening," the chief said in
issuing a warning to area residents. All the victims were in their 80s.
Police received complaints last week from the victims who live in the
3100 block of Eastland, 2800 block of Dawes and 1100 block of Sherwood
roads.
In each case, a man and woman in a white or cream-colored van
approached the elderly people. The woman -- described as smooth-talking
and convincing -- made the sales pitch.
In one case, an 87-year-old woman pulled into her driveway returning
from the grocery store and the van pulled in behind her, a report said.
The woman from the van offered to seal the cracks in the elderly
woman's driveway and level the areas out.
At first, the elderly woman said no, but after the other woman helped
carry in her groceries and continued to make the sales pitch, she
changed her mind.
After the victim paid with a check for $150, the man spread a substance
on the driveway and put water on it. When it dried, it appeared to be
some type of powder that didn't fill the cracks. The couple promised to
return the next day to finish the job, but never did. The check was
cashed.
An 85-year-old man was approached while out working in his yard.
The couple originally asked $800 for the repaving job, but then
"relented" and said they'd do it for $100, according to the police
report.
After they left, the man decided to stop payment on the check.
In the third case, a man in his 80s paid the couple $215 for a repaving
job.
"One of the victims even got into the van with the couple and went
through Norton Shores to homes where driveways had been repaved,"
Wiebenga said. "They were told that was what their driveway was going
to look like (when the work was done)."
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Parker man says Asphalt Company scammed him
Better Business Bureau reports 7 complaints against company
by Laurie Cipriano,
November 3, 2007
PARKER (KWGN) — A Parker man says he was scammed out of thousands of
dollars by a Denver company. Now he wants to warn others of
door-to-door salesmen who offer low quotes on asphalt paving for
driveways.
"We were approached my Mile High Paving, Martin McDonald and Jim
McDonald and they offered to pave my driveway at a very reasonable
price," said Brent Miller of Parker. "They said they we're in the
neighborhood. We have extra asphalt."
It seemed like a great deal.
"They said no you have to decide today, or that's it," said Miller.
Brent had them do the work, then he noticed a problem.
"We found a bunch of holes in the driveway within the first week or
two," said Miller.
He paid $7,000 to have his driveway paved, which was supposed to be
three inches thick all the way through.
"It's an eighth of an inch thick. And needless to say I had a heart
attack cause I feel like I've got a bunch of painted dirt," said Miller.
He called the company and even went to the address listed on Mile High
Paving's letterhead, but it was a UPS store, where they had a P.O. Box.
Tom Peterson, with the Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association, has a
warning consumers should keep in mind.
"A reputable contractor doesn't sell asphalt door-to- door. There is no
such thing as left over asphalt," said Peterson. "Asphalt is produced
hot, needs to be delivered hot to a project. And if it's left over it
shouldn't be used."
News2 contacted Mile High Paving and they declined to comment on
camera. We checked the Better Business Bureau's web site and found that
Mile High Paving has had a total of seven complaints in the last 36
months. The majority of those complaints have been resolved.
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Woman Sexually Assaulted By Driveway Repair Man
- Oct 31, 2007
PLYMOUTH, Minn. (WCCO) ― She thought she was getting an estimate on
driveway repairs and ended up being sexually assaulted in her own home.
Police say 32-year-old Yony Cuenca-Parra is charged with sexually
assaulting her after trying to negotiate a price on resealing the
driveway and he's not even supposed be in this country.
A Plymouth, Minn. neighborhood received advertising fliers which said
they were from Tollefson Asphalt and Seal Coating. A woman contacted
the number on the flier and police said Cuenca-Parra showed up last
Tuesday to give her an estimate.
"He was able to gain entrance into the house by asking to use the
restroom and some negotiations took place on the price of the estimate.
During the course of this, at some point the suspect basically began
to assault the victim. The victim was able to,
basically, free herself," said Plymouth Police Sergeant Joe
Gephart.
Police said he left the home and the victim called 911.
"Officers arrived and while en route they received a description of the
suspect and the suspects vehicle. And actually drove right past
him and they were able to make the arrest almost immediately," he said.
Investigators discovered that the suspect is a Mexican national who
has been deported once before.
WCCO-TV learned that Tollefson Asphalt and Seal Coating no longer
exists. The former owners said Cuenca-Parra briefly worked for them as
a sub-contractor last year.
The owners, who were vacationing in Florida, said they feel
victimized too because he apparently stole their name to help him
assault a trusting woman.
"We just feel terrible. Our heart goes out to her first of all, and
when reality sinks in you wonder what it's going to do to our name and
business as well as what it does to her," said former owner Christine
Tollefson.
Police advise that people do not do business with strangers who
approach a home without doing a thorough check. Make sure the business
has a permanent address and phone number.
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- 2 Va. men charged in scam
Published: Wednesday, October 31, 2007
NORTH LIMA — Two Virginia men have been charged with felony theft by
deception in a what police are calling a driveway paving scam.
Beaver Police Chief Carl N. Frost said the arrests should serve as a
reminder that it is extremely uncommon to have random contractors stop
at your home and offer to make repairs with extra material they say
they have left over. "If it sounds too good to be true, it is," the
chief said.
Last Friday, the Virginia men, Lyle L. Marpole II, 54, and Saul H.
Williams, 27, stopped at a home in the 13000 block of South Avenue and
told the homeowner they would replace his blacktop driveway for $3,000
with materials they had left over, Frost said. The men had the
homeowner pay and sign a contract and then they spread a little gravel,
he said.
When Marpole and Williams did not show up Saturday, as agreed upon, the
homeowner contacted police and gave them the license plate number of a
Ford pickup. A Beaver officer spotted the pickup after it left a Market
Street motel and made a traffic stop.
Frost said one of the suspects admitted they conned the victim out of
$3,000 and were headed to the Akron area. A woman with Marpole and
Williams provided a written account of what occurred, the police chief
said.
If you or someone you know has been victimized by this scam, contact
Beaver Detective Lt. Kenneth Frost at (330) 549-5338 .
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
NORTH LIMA — Two Virginia men have been charged with felony theft by
deception in a what police are calling a driveway paving scam.
Beaver Police Chief Carl N. Frost said the arrests should serve as a
reminder that it is extremely uncommon to have random contractors stop
at your home and offer to make repairs with extra material they say
they have left over. "If it sounds too good to be true, it is," the
chief said.
Last Friday, the Virginia men, Lyle L. Marpole II, 54, and Saul H.
Williams, 27, stopped at a home in the 13000 block of South Avenue and
told the homeowner they would replace his blacktop driveway for $3,000
with materials they had left over, Frost said. The men had the
homeowner pay and sign a contract and then they spread a little gravel,
he said.
When Marpole and Williams did not show up Saturday, as agreed upon, the
homeowner contacted police and gave them the license plate number of a
Ford pickup. A Beaver officer spotted the pickup after it left a Market
Street motel and made a traffic stop.
Frost said one of the suspects admitted they conned the victim out of
$3,000 and were headed to the Akron area. A woman with Marpole and
Williams provided a written account of what occurred, the police chief
said.
If you or someone you know has been victimized by this scam, contact
Beaver Detective Lt. Kenneth Frost at (330) 549-5338 .
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Two Virginia men have been charged with felony theft by deception in a
what police are calling a driveway paving scam....
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