In the past week, Fruitport Township Police Department has taken reports from multiple residents of a male subject contacting them at their residence making unsolicited offers for roof repairs. The male subject has been described as a white male in his 40’s driving a vehicle that has been described as a blue or green Buick – possibly with a white door on the driver’s side.
Fruitport Township Police Department wants residents to remain alert and report unsolicited home solicitations. Fruitport Township has an ordinance requiring permits for door-to-door solicitations for services and products. There are no current permits issued for door-to-door solicitation for roof repair services.
Police encourage residents to:
• Always verify the solicitor has a permit from the Township and official identification from the company represented.
• Deal only with reputable contractors for home repair projects. Check with friends or family members to see whom they have used for similar projects.
• Check with the Better Business Bureau for information about the company.
• Ask for references, and check them.
• Obtain written estimates (and/or a contract, if applicable) which specify the work to be done, the agreed-upon price for the work and the time frame in which the work will be completed.
• Obtain three or more estimates from different contractors; if there is a wide discrepancy, ask them to justify their price.
• Verify the contractor is properly licensed and insured for projects requiring a licensed contractor.
• Never give personal information unless the legitimacy of the business has been verified and you have decided to purchase goods or services.
• Be very cautious about allowing solicitors into your home. If you are interested, most business can be completed at the door or outside.
• When in doubt, call 9-1-1 and ask for an officer to respond and investigate. Try to get a good description of the suspicious person and vehicles involved, including the license plate number.
Roof repair scams often target senior citizens because the elderly are unlikely to follow the offender onto the roof to inspect whether or not there is actually damage.
Throughout the past year, police have solved home invasion complaints in which the offenders had been casing the neighborhood and using a ruse to determine whether someone was home prior to forcing entry into the home. Examples include offenders who had claimed to be going door-to-door looking for work shoveling snow or simply claiming to be looking for someone at the residence who does not live there.
At this time, it is unknown whether the individual offering roof repair services is legitimately involved in the roof repair business. However, there are currently no door-to-door solicitation permits in Fruitport Township for these services. Residents are encouraged to call police if they have been or are contacted by a door-to-door solicitor offering roof-repair services.
A map showing the general locations of the reported door-to-door solicitations is attached.
No further information is being released by police at this time.
