State orders
$205,000 fine
over roofing

A former Honolulu roofer
allegedly skipped out on
customers and violated state law

A former Honolulu roofing contractor and its top employee have had their licenses revoked and have been ordered to pay $205,000 in fines by the state in response to complaints after they skipped town and left some customers with leaky roofs.

Following a recent state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs hearing, Interlock Industries Inc. and Mark Wenzel, the company's responsible managing employee, were found to have violated several state laws "by failing to maintain a record or history of competency, trustworthiness, fair dealing and financial integrity," a state order said.

"The fine was large due to the number of complaints," said Christine Hirasa, DCCA public information officer. "The board felt that there was a pattern to the complaints and noted that the company did not follow up with customers after it closed and left town."

The state found that Interlock Industries, which installed approximately 2,700 roofs in Hawaii from 1997 to 2001, failed to report address and telephone number changes to the state contractors license board, engaged in unfair or deceptive acts, refused to complete work and failed to provide contracts to customers as well as obtain bonding for roofing projects.

Ricky King, the company's installation manager, was fined $500 for failing to report the company's change of address to authorities within 10 days of its closing in 2001. King was excluded from more serious charges because of his efforts to assist homeowners, the order said.

Interlock Industries could not be located for comment. The company's published phone number has been reassigned to another Oahu resident.

Susan Sugino, a retiree who hired Interlock Industries to put a roof on her Wailuku, Maui, home in 2001, said the order is insufficient, though she is glad that the state has responded to her complaint and the dozens made by other customers.

"That's not enough because they have taken in much more than that," Sugino said. She paid the company $29,800 to replace a leaking roof, which was supposed to be backed by a lifetime guarantee. Sugino interpreted the guarantee to mean that if her Interlock roof leaked because of improper installation or was defective, the company would fix the problem.

Less than a year later, Sugino said she tried to contact Interlock Industries to report a leaky roof, which was causing mold growth.

"I kept calling, but I got no replies. Finally, the number was disconnected," Sugino said. "I've got a four-inch file on this company."

Sugino eventually paid another contractor to patch her roof and joined a class-action lawsuit filed by Kailua-based attorney Buck Ashford of Ashford & Associates against Interlock Industries as well as Ivor Wenzel and Mark Wenzel, the father-and-son team who oversaw the company's Hawaii operations.

"They had a wonderful marketing strategy: They guaranteed each roof for the life of the customer and in return the customers paid a premium price," Ashford said. "But in October of 2001, they shut their doors and went away."

The suit, on behalf of a class of about 1,000 people, is seeking to prevent Interlock Industries from ever again contracting in Hawaii to install roofs with lifetime warranties without complying with state requirements. Parties in the suit are seeking restitution as well as general, special, compensatory and punitive damages.