JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville roofer whom the I-TEAM has been investigating for more than four months faces the possibility of discipline from the state board that oversees contractors in Florida.
On Friday, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation announced it had filed two administrative complaints against Michael Robert Beard, the contractor behind Superior Roofing and Restoration.
The complaints involve homeowners in the Arlington and East Arlington areas. In each case, Beard is accused of abandoning a job by failing to perform any work for more than 90 days, failing to apply for a required permit within 30 days of receiving an initial payment, accepting payment for more of the job than was completed and failing to inform customers of their rights under the Florida Homeowner’s Construction Recovery Fund.
In the complaint, the state agency asks the Construction Industry Licensing Board to impose one or more penalties, which could include probation, a reprimand, license revocation or suspension, continuing education or a fine of up to $10,000 per violation.
On Friday afternoon, the I-TEAM talked with one of the customers named in the complaint, Mark Bergman. Bergman had hired Superior Roofing and Restoration in September 2017, to repair damage from Hurricane Irma. As of early April, after the I-TEAM’s first stories aired, he told News4Jax that work still had not been done on his roof. City permit and inspection records show Superior Roofing paid permitting fees for the job on April 16, and Bergman said the job was finished during the first week of May. He credited the I-TEAM for holding the company accountable.
Bergman was one of eight customers who have told the I-TEAM of their issues with Superior Roofing and Restoration. Navy veteran Raymond Libby was among the first we spoke with. Libby said he paid the company more than $8,300 to repair damage done by Hurricane Irma. After the I-TEAM spoke to Libby and then contacted Beard, the roofer said he would refund the customer’s money. Two weeks after the I-TEAM’s initial report, Beard returned Libby’s money. Libby wound up getting a new roof at no charge, thanks to a local program called Housetops for Heroes.
The Better Business Bureau gave Superior Roofing and Restoration an F rating and posted about a “pattern of complaints” involving roofing jobs that weren’t completed, even though customers had made payments to the company.
In addition to profiles on businesses, BBB's website offers advice for consumers on hiring a roofing contractor in Florida.
You can also check the state’s website to make sure the business is licensed by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
If you have a complaint against Superior Roofing and Restoration, you can file complaints with the following organizations and agencies: