ALL AMERICAN ROOFING

I was given a prompt estimate and the work was started quickly after signing the contract on 9/27/07. The roof was installed within 3 days and the debris around the house was cleaned up nicely. I'm happy with the roof which looks great and doesn't leak so far. Oddly, Robert Cousino asked me to write the downpayment check of $3300 to his partner, Brian Lutz, and the final check to his wife, Rhonda Cousino. Contrary to my contract, he asked for this final payment before the job was completed. Stupidly, I paid it, because I trusted him. No checks for any part of this job were made out to the company name: All American Roofing. The trouble I'm upset about started with the vinyl siding portion of the job when the company's partner, Brian Lutz, started working on the soffit & fascia, but only worked sporadically, and then only a few hours a day when he did show up. Robert Cousino promised this would take only a day or two after the roof was finished, but it took two weeks or longer, and I wasn't at all happy with the quality of workmanship. None of the 90+ corners were mitered. All are a butt fit, however not professional or consistent looking anywhere. The J-channel doesn't meet at any of the corners and either over or undershoots the piece it's supposed to match up to. Consequently there are gaping holes which allow easy access to insects and moisture to get underneath the siding. Brian also covered over some rotted wood in the soffit, after I had specified for all the rotted wood sections to be replaced. I brought this to Robert's attention, and he said he fixed it. Then after Brian was finally finished and before the gutters were installed, I called Robert over to show him the shoddy workmanship, but he defended the work and said, "This is how we do it." He said he was going to install a light kit to make the patio ceiling light look better and then caulk all the openings in the J-channel corners, however he never returned. I gave up on All American Roofing until last spring when I was outside more in the warm weather and really noticed how poorly the work was done. In early May, I called Robert to ask him to fix the soffit & fascia, but he became defensive and angry with me. I told him to call me back within 3 days with his answer, but I've not heard from him since. My attorney wrote him a letter asking for satisfaction, but he never responded. I brought suit in small claims court, but he never showed up on the court date. Additionally, I referred Robert to my neighbor, a single retiree, who also contracted him to install a new roof and three skylights on her home. Although both our contracts state half down to start and half when the job is done, she paid him all but $500, and Robert never returned to finish the skylight part of her job. The company's extension ladder and numerous sheets of plywood were left leaning against her garage from Oct. '07 (when he was installing her roof) until just picking them up in July '07!