CAPE CORAL, Fla. -- A Southwest Florida man says a roofing contractor started work and then left him hanging on a home in Punta Gorda.
Robert Gaumer, a U.S. Army veteran, spoke to Fox 4, Monday, and said Camp Rigby Roofing installed a rubber membrane for his roof, on a house he and his wife are building in Punta Gorda, three weeks ago. He said he then couldn't reach the contractor. "They would not return calls, we went by and spoke with them and they said 'no problem, we'll get your roof done, you'll be tickled pink with it,'" he said. "We found out on Friday that they had gone out of business. We also found out that they had not paid the suppliers for the material they used on the house."
Gaumer showed Fox 4 an invoice for a down payment on the service. He put 50% down; that was $16,000. Now he and his wife are afraid they won't be able to finish their dream home. "It kind of makes my stomach turn that contractors would do this to people who are spending their life savings on their homes," said Gaumer.
4 In Your Corner received a statement from the spokesperson for the roofing company.
"After 32 years of business, Camp-Rigby Roofing has recently fallen on hard times when Iberia Bank seized the company's buildings and equipment last Friday after the company defaulted on a loan. They are doing everything humanly possible to reclaim their equipment and complete their in-progress projects. The company is actively contacting all their clients to update them on their situation and complete these jobs. Camp-Rigby Roofing asks for your patience and understanding as they overcome these business challenges.
Whether roofing the Federal Courthouse in Fort Myers, community libraries, high-rise condominiums or hundreds of family homes throughout Southwest Florida, Camp-Rigby Roofing has been dedicated to the people of Fort Myers and Southwest Florida.
A family owned business since 1985, the company has a long-standing relationship with the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce, Southwest Florida Roofing Contractors Association and the National Roofing Contractors Association."
We contacted Matt Sinclair, President of the Cape Coral Construction Industry Association, to see what he knew about the company. He said there have been changes in recent years. "The company has been around for an extremely long time, very reputable over the years. I do know one of the main owners passed away two/three years ago of cancer," he said.
