Legal Question in Consumer Law in Massachusetts

Hi,

I have discovered that my neighbor and I (we own adjacent units of a condo duplex) are victims of an unlicensed roofing contractor operating in Massachusetts. He charged us $9,350 to replace our roof in 2001, which we have since discovered was done at a standard so far below professional that it might as well have been done by a child. Several contractors and inspectors have described the roof as 'the worst I've ever seen'. Flaws include:

- shingles constantly falling off

- lacking flashing in more places than not

- ridge vent made to look installed but was not vented

- exposed nails

- significant gaps left between shingles and other surfaces

- no ice and water barrier used

- drip edges not used

- rows of shingles overlapping too much or too little

- vent caps and chimney flashing not replaced

In addition to these failings, I have discovered the following:

- the contractor was unlicensed despite advertising himself as licensed

- his license has been revoked and he has been fined multiple time by the State AG based on a slew of homeowner complaints

- he has impersonated insurance companies to provide fraudulent proof of insurance

- he has forged customer's signatures on building permit documents

...and he has done all of this for years and years, all the while periodically changing the name of his business and even his own name to hide his trail.

I have been told by the MA office of consumer affairs that my right to file a complaint with their office and seek guaranty funds has expired. I have no reason to believe that this person will respond in any way to any sort of action short of criminal action. In my opinion his behavior is in fact criminal. What is my best course of action?

Thank you.

Jamie

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