Florida AG Sues Roofing Firm After Dozens of Complaints About Unfinished Work
Florida’s attorney general has filed suit against a high-profile roofing company with offices around the country, seeking penalties, refunds to homeowners, and a court order that would bar the firm from further deceptive actions.
Evolve Construction & Restoration and six officers were named in the suit filed in Lee County, which alleges that the company knocked on doors after Hurricanes Ian and Milton, took some $1 million in insurance claim payouts from at least 80 people across the state, but never completed the work.
“More than 60% of the consumers who complained to our office are seniors. The fraudsters should expect to be held accountable,” state Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a statement released Friday.
Company leaders could not immediately be reached for comment Monday. Evolve Construction and Evolve Construction & Restoration lists a principal address in Naples, Florida, and other offices in Florida, California and in other states.
The lawsuit comes after multiple complaints from Florida homeowners who said they had been swindled by the construction company. In May, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation issued an order and accepted the relinquishment of a construction financial officer license by Ahmed Darkawi, a former manager of Evolve, records show.
Darkawi, based in Minnesota, could not be reached for comment Monday.
Complaints and news articles about Evolve have surfaced around the country for months. WINK news in Fort Myers, Florida, in May reported that the roofing firm faced at least 66 complaints from consumers. Homeowners in Oklahoma said company representatives “ghosted” them after accepting downpayment on a roof replacement, KFOR news reported.
Evolve Construction told the news station that the couple had balked at paying because they couldn’t cover their $13,000 deductible on their homeowners’ insurance policy. The homeowners disputed that.
Evolve Construction has more than one connection to the property insurance industry. In May of this year, the founder of EagleView Technologies, which provides aerial imaging of roofs and roof dimensions for insurance adjusters, and a partner company announced the acquisition of Evolve for $50 million.
The news release about the merger said that Evolve had $160 million in revenue, operations in 35 markets in the United States, Canada and Australia, and had completed some 7,500 projects. The parent company could not be reached for comment Monday.
The Florida attorney general’s 45-page lawsuit complaint names Darkawi and five other officers at Evolve Construction. Patrick Antoine, of Lehigh Acres, Florida, is listed as secretary of the company. Aleksandr Guldshadt, also known as Alex Gold and based in Los Angeles, is the former CEO, Uthmeier’s office said in the statement last week.
Jaser Zaabri, also of Los Angeles, called himself a “distinguished entrepreneur” in a news release in April, touting his ability to scale business operations. The statement said he was chairman and founder of Evolve Construction.
The officers and the company have not yet answered the lawsuit, online court records show.
Besides failing to complete or start jobs that the homeowners had paid for, Uthmeier charged that Evolve required consumers to sign contingency agreements that did not include itemized estimates or cancellation language required by Florida law. The firm also charged penalty fees for canceled contracts, the attorney general alleged.
“The complaint alleges the defendants threatened to place liens on homes—and in some cases recorded liens, including for inaccurate amounts, and pursued foreclosure—even when no work was performed and no materials were purchased,” the AG’s office said in a statement.
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