HAVERHILL, Mass. — Police say they have arrested two Maine men and are looking for a third accused of scamming a 92-year-old Massachusetts man out of $90,000 by overcharging him for odd jobs around his home.
Haverhill police say 34-year-old Billy Adams of Saco, Maine, and 33-year-old Edmond Wormwood of Biddeford, Maine, were arrested in their home state on a warrant issued in Massachusetts, where they face a charge of larceny by continuous scheme.
Police also issued a warrant for the arrest of 28-year-old Michael Mills of Arundel, Maine.
The suspects first showed up at the victim’s Haverhill home in February and offered to do small jobs.
Police told The Eagle-Tribune the men did some yard work and painting but “were charging an exorbitant amount of money for substandard work.”
When your handymen are driving to your home from out of state on a daily basis, you can be be pretty sure you’re getting ripped off.
Hey is thier any laws setting the rates people charge? If thier is can we find out how much. Many times I would like to have a garage arrested . Quote will be $200 end up charging $500 with some excuse and refuse to let you have you car till you pay.
Take your car somewhere else! And that’s why it’s called a “quote”.
I don’t know how it works in Maine these days, but in Mass. you are given a good faith estimate (which you must sign), and if the bill is going to be more than 10% higher than that, the garage has to get prior approval (either by signature or a notation with time of phone call and the name of person giving approval). I’m sure that if that scenario isn’t mandated by Maine law, you could set it up that way with your mechanic when the repair order is written.
Hind sight is 20/20 Just saying if i did not pay the extra that was not approved I would have been without a car. Not worth going to court over . They lost a customer. I worked for a few businesses that really did people wrong most the time the people just payed. Sometimes it is hard to tell you are being cheated when the man wrighting the bill has a smile on his face. I had to get done at that job because I could not bring myself to that level. Most never get caught when they do it never goes to court.
in the state of maine if you have a writen quote it cannot exceed a sertain % of the quote.
Three good candidates for the Maine State Housing Authority head position.
Lock them in a Mass. prison for a couple years, then make them wear orange suits and pick up trash on the side of the road for 3 more years, as long as it doesn’t take away a union members job that is.
$90k, guess they really are “handy men”
There will always be SCUMBAGS in this world….so sad but such a reality.
At the risk of being flamed, if I offer to mow your lawn and charge you a million dollars for it, and you agree, where is the crime being committed?