After nearly three weeks on our project and more than $40,000 in damages to our home, Edward Purcell admitted that he did not have insurance, despite repeatedly telling us that he did. Providing proof of insurance was one of the first things we requested before hiring him, but despite numerous requests, he never provided it. We then fired him.
We were told the roof would be completed in 3-4 days by a small, experienced crew. Instead, the project dragged on for nearly three weeks and was still unfinished. We were also told that plywood would be used, not OSB, that Owens Corning shingles would be installed, and that our newer gutters would be removed to prevent damage. None of those proved to be accurate.
We came home one day to find a worker sleeping on our roof and, on other occasions, sleeping in the supply truck. Workers, including Ed, stepped in and on our gutters, causing damage. Ed also stepped through our ceiling multiple times, leaving large holes and debris throughout our home. The roof was left exposed during rainstorms, resulting in water intrusion and damage throughout our house. The work that was done was defective and we had to start over with another roofer and pay an additional $7,000 beyond the cost of the roof to correct the mistakes made.
After admitting he did not have insurance, Ed signed a promissory note agreeing to pay for repairs. To date, he has paid only $1,520 and has not responded to us or returned our attorney's call. He did not return any of the money we paid him.
Throughout the project, there were conflicting statements regarding insurance coverage, including references to using his son's insurance. We made it clear that we expected proper insurance coverage and truthful information at all times.
Homeowners should thoroughly verify insurance coverage, licensing, and references before hiring this company.
For additional background, readers may wish to review this publicly available Syracuse.com article regarding Edward Purcell:
https://www.syracuse.com/crime/2016/07/fayetteville_roofer_who_helped_destitute_woman_imprisoned_for_tax_evasion.html read more