7 On Your Side helps roofing contractors get back thousands

Tuesday, May 30, 2023
NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Two contractors who did a great job but didn't get paid by the much bigger company who hired them.

Nina Pineda and 7 On Your Side helped the good guys hammer out a happy ending.
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The two roofers are separated by three states and 900 miles, but share the same high-dollar dilemma.

Both are owed thousands by Dream Home Roofing, a New Jersey-based general contractor with a user-friendly website.

Homeowners across America hire Dream Home, but all the work gets sub-contracted out to smaller businesses, like Katie Tomas' company in Kentucky.

Last year, Dream Home hired her company, Los Garcias Contracting, to replace a residential roof. She fronted the materials, hired manpower and completed the job. But months after completion, Dream Home still owed her the full amount -- more than $9,700.
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"If they're doing all this how many other sub-contractors are they not paying?" Tomas said.



Newark roofing contractor Jose Loja, who owns Tri State Enterprises LLC, said he saw Tomas' online complaints about Dream Home Roofing on Facebook.

He said they owe him between $13,000 and $14,000.

Last fall, Loja finished nine roofing and siding jobs for Dream Home. They got paid for a few but then he says Dream Home disappeared.

"We weren't hearing anything from them - we were messaging them and texting them, they never answered," said Sebastian, who works with Loja.

They should have checked out Top Golf -- just a day after Jose did his last job, the Dream Home Facebook page showed their sales team living it up.
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"We had to pay for materials, our workers had to be paid of course, because we just can't tell them, hey there's no money," Sebastian said.



So 7 On Your Side called Dream Home Roofers. The CEO said his company has "cash flow problems" and still owes other contractors - which put them on payment plans.

But days after we called, Katie was paid the full amount: $9,703.40.

"I just want to say thank you 7 On Your Side from the very bottom of my heart, because without you guys, I wouldn't have been able to get it done," she said.

And Jose finally got paid too. He got two checks with payment in full for $13,704.41.

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