SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) — Customers did not receive refunds, but they tell On Your Side they are very relieved. They waited years, and now a lawsuit against a shuttered roofing business in Springfield continues.

It all started with the On Your Side Investigation. in spring 2021, We told you about LoveOurRoof. We heard from several customers that they paid thousands in deposits and then the company suddenly closed down. No study has been done.

After our review, Missouri’s attorney general filed a lawsuit nearly two years ago. Not much has happened since then, but there is a movement now.

“I really thought that day would never come,” Laura Leclair said.

We first spoke with Leclair a few years ago. He hired LoveOurRoof and paid about $4,000 for new exterior gutters and other improvements. Shortly after he wrote that check, the company went out of business. He filed a complaint with the attorney general and took part in the case. He and about a dozen others are scheduled to appear for testimony next month.

“I’m nervous about it, but I know we didn’t do anything wrong. We paid for the service we didn’t get. I have nothing to hide. I’m happy to have our side of the story shared. I won’t hold my breath to see if we get our money back, but the truth is, they are doing something about it and these people “I hope they continue to do it again,” he said.

Court records show it was difficult to notify defendants. The attorney general is suing the company, James Harding and Matthew Preister, for violating the Missouri Trade Practices Act. Court documents show the company made false promises to customers. The AG wants the defendants to pay over $56,000 in fines and court costs in restitution.

Harding said on On Your Side in April 2021 that he would make things right.

Meanwhile, a quick internet search shows that Preister has been affiliated with other roofing companies in the Kansas City area since the closing. The attorney general asked the judge to ban him and Harding from working in construction.

“Whether it was a 1099 contractor, an employee or a business owner, he did people wrong in this industry and I don’t think he should be allowed to work in this industry again in the state of Missouri,” Leclair said. .

The defendants did not respond to this lawsuit. On Your Side called and emailed them several times but received no response. They do not currently have a lawyer in this case.

We will continue to follow this story.

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