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Years-long battle over roofing job continues for elderly Kzoo couple

Posted at 7:14 PM, Apr 19, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-19 19:14:25-04

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – After fighting for over a year to get their money back, an elderly couple in Kalamazoo is still out thousands for what was supposed to be a simple roofing job.

When their home was damaged in the winter of 2014 because of ice melt, John Hillsburg, who is legally blind, had to hire some outside help to get it fixed. For the roofing portion of the job, he hired Shawn Nordman, listed as the owner of Quality Roofing and Repair.

Nordman began work in January of 2015, and after just two days of repairs, claimed the job was done. But Hillsburg thought differently. He said Nordman missed part of the roof that was leaking entirely, and the parts he did repair still leaked. So Nordman returned a second time, and a third after even that didn’t do the trick. But still, the roof leaked.

Roof Medium        Roof Close Up

Eventually, the following summer, John dismissed Nordman from the job and asked for his money back – all $2,500 of it. Then, John says, the excuses came flooding in.

John eventually sought legal help, claiming Nordman had actually broken several state laws by charging them over $600 without possession of a proper permit and writing a contract without a license. Even several attempts by John’s lawyer to recover the money couldn’t yield any results.

FOX 17 stopped by Nordman’s home today – the same address listed for his business. Online databases listed that business as ‘fictitious’ and several attempts to reach Nordman on Facebook and by phone fell flat.

FOX 17 will continue to pursue contact with Nordman and work to get the Hillsburg’s money back.