A reader asked to have this missive posted. A similar guy walked by several times, but never approached, while I was working on the gutters this past Saturday…

I had a middle-aged African American guy, slight build, no taller than 5′9″
ring my doorbell this AM who handed me his business card and proceeded to
point out issues with my roof. The name on his business card is Thomas
Taylor and it gives several contact phone numbers. While pointing out
issues, he proceeds to climb up a ladder to show me problems on my side
porch 1st floor roof. At no point did I give him permission to get off the
ladder onto my roof. Next thing I know, he is on my roof pulling up my
chimney liner, showing bricks and slates that are unattached, etc. Long
story short, he wants to start the job immediately. I told him I would
speak to my husband and let him know. He didn’t put back any of the slates
he has moved and there is a brick at the top of my chimney that is sitting
at a precarious angle. I just wanted him off my roof. I now have a 1 foot
square area on my roof (that may very well need repair) that is exposed!
Needless to say, I chose not to go with him, even though the quote dropped
from $4000 to $2200 when I said no the first time. I don’t know that he is
a criminal per say, but he is ringing door bells looking for repair work to
do and he is fairly pushy(climbing on my roof without my permission)and
doesn’t want to hear no. As I said no to the roof work, he was still trying
to clean my gutters!! He claimed to have done work for my neighbor who I
confirmed doesn’t know him from Adam (he rang his doorbell as well).

My other neighbor called the police because she didn’t know what he was all
about and he had a big landscaper’s trailer he was pulling that didn’t have
anything on it. I just wanted to make others aware so they do not end up
like me with exposed roofing boards and bricks from their chimney sitting
precariously! He is driving an older model white van with no markings and
pulling a long black trailer that may have ladders but I didn’t see anything
on it! He has a guy with him but I was uncertain whether he may be biracial
or Hispanic. He is probably 10 years younger with facial hair cut in a trim
line around his chin. He is probably about the same height but weighs
~200lbs. The police were going to try to locate them and tell them to move
on.

I have called Paul Saunders roofing for potential repair work and as I was
sharing my story, the receptionist tells me of a guy named Thomas (she
couldn’t remember his last name) who used to work Windsor Farms in the same
fashion. We believe with the similarities to the story that this is indeed
the same guy!