Exterior Solutions customers near Green Bay say deposits vanished as Wisconsin and two counties investigate
Customers of Exterior Solutions LLC, a roofing and siding contractor in De Pere near Green Bay, say they paid deposits of $3,300 to $9,885 for work that never started. Their complaints are under investigation by Wisconsin's consumer protection agency and authorities in Kewaunee and Shawano counties, and two small claims judgments have gone against the owner.
Homeowners across northeast Wisconsin say Exterior Solutions took their money and never showed up, WBAY reported on Nov. 10. A retired couple wrote a $7,913.99 check on Aug. 12 to fix a roof hit by June hail. Another couple paid $9,885 on June 1 for siding and got three start dates, the last on Sept. 7, before calls went unanswered. A third customer paid $3,300 on July 10 for windows. Through a group text, one customer found about 20 others with similar accounts, some with contracts from March.
Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) confirmed it has opened an investigation, and authorities in Kewaunee and Shawano counties confirmed active cases, the station reported. Customers have also filed reports in Brown and Door counties. The owner did not appear in Brown County small claims court in either of two cases. A judgment entered Oct. 26 covers the siding couple's $10,024.50 claim, and on Nov. 9 a judge ordered $5,800 paid to the window customers. Court records cited by WBAY show the owner settled a tax warrant of more than $22,000 against the business the day the window deposit was made, and another above $21,000 two days later.
On Sept. 14 the owner told the siding couple to route all contact through his bankruptcy attorney, and a former salesman told one homeowner the owner was filing for bankruptcy. No filing has been reported, the attorney's office did not answer WBAY, and the company website is down. In an Oct. 7 call, the owner told the station the family-run business was dealing with "extensive personal problems." No criminal charges have been reported. How many customers are owed, and whether deposits will come back, is unknown.
Under Wisconsin rule ATCP 110.07, if paid-for work is not finished by the contract deadline and the buyer has not agreed in writing to a new one, the buyer can cancel in writing and demand unspent money back within 15 days, according to DATCP. The contractor must also give a written accounting of the payments within 30 days.
Why it matters: Wisconsin requires a written contract whenever a customer pays before work starts, and under ATCP 110 a new start date counts only if the buyer agrees in writing. Contractors running behind on storm jobs should get revised dates signed, or customers can cancel and demand unspent deposits back.
If this affects you
- Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) takes home improvement complaints online or by mail and contacts the business on the consumer's behalf. datcp.wi.gov
- Under Wisconsin rule ATCP 110.07, a buyer whose paid-for work is not done on time can cancel the contract in writing and demand unspent money back within 15 days. datcp.wi.gov
- The Wisconsin Court System's case search page links to Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, where circuit court case records are public. wicourts.gov
Sources
- Northeast Wisconsin homeowners say they paid deposit to contractor for work never completedWBAY, Nov 10