The owner of a now-defunct roofing company that ripped off Denver and Colorado Springs homeowners for roofing repairs that were never done has been ordered to pay more than $1.7 million in restitution and more than $4.2 million in civil penalties.
The judgment against Glenn Jessen, 41, the president of Claim Specialists International, Inc., (CSI) followed a 10-day trial in Denver District Court.
Jessen was also ordered to pay more than $639,000 in costs and fees to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
In a lawsuit filed in September 2009, the Attorney General’s Office alleged that CSI received hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair roofs on Denver and Colorado Springs homes damaged by hail.
According to the complaint, CSI offered roofing consulting services and engaged in an aggressive door-to-door scheme to secure roof repair contracts starting in April 2007. Attorney General John Suthers claimed that CSI often targeted seniors.
The company based its pitch on a free roof inspection and offered insurance claim adjustment services performed by unlicensed insurance adjusters.
Following insurance claim approval, the company would collect homeowners’ insurance money before performing the roofing work.
It was alleged that in nearly 500 instances the company never completed the work.
The complaint also alleged that not only had repairs not been made, but the company owed hundreds of thousands of dollars to subcontractors and suppliers.
At the time the complaint was filed, Jessen told The Denver Post that the allegations were “absolute sensationalism. Nobody was out there trying to steal from anybody.”
The Denver District Court order also bars Jessen from owning or operating any home-repair company that engages in door-to-door sales in Colorado.
“This decision is a victory not only for the hundreds of homeowners in Denver and Colorado Springs who were victimized by Claims Specialists International’s door-to-door scam, but also for consumers across the state,” said Suthers.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
