The elderly Corner Brook couple duped out of $700 for repairs on their home that were never done have gotten their money back.
Claudette Young said the young man who ripped off her parents returned the money Friday.
Glad to have the money back, Young, who lives in Gander, said Saturday that her parents have learned a lesson in trustworthiness.
After experiencing a leaking roof in late December, her mom and step-dad started to look for someone to fix the roof and some damage inside their home.
Her brother connected them with a man who had done work for his in-laws; work he’d supervised and that had gone well.
The man visited the home, agreed to do the work and was given $500 for supplies. He returned the next day and said he needed another $200.
That was the last the couple heard from them.
Young posted what happened on Facebook last week and the man contacted them. For a while it didn’t seem like he would repay the money.
But with the attention the story was getting from The Western Star article, responses from the Facebook posts, some intervention from someone close to his family and the threat of small claims court, he made good on Friday.
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“He kind of was backed into a corner,” said Young. “He never had a choice to pay it. People were on his back.”
But Young said it wasn’t done “willfully with grace.”
She said he was upset and angry, and complained that he had to return the money.
Young said she and her mother have talked about the experience and how it’s more difficult to trust people today.
“They will never ever put themselves in a situation where they give money out for anything without taking major precautions.”
In a way, Young said it was good for them to learn this.
It was also good for the man as it showed him that he won’t get off with doing things like this.
“I’m hoping that he learned a valuable lesson. Maybe he’ll change his life a little bit and start doing things in a better way.”
Young said the work to fix her parents roof has been done, thanks to the generosity of someone else, and repairs to the inside have also started.
Car issue
Attention drawn to another fraud case also reported in Friday’s article and posted on Facebook has also resulted in a bit of resolution.
Beverly Ann Chislett said that the man who took $1,400 from her for a car, but never delivered the vehicle, sent her an email transfer of $60 on Friday. He also pledged to pay her back $100 every two weeks until the full amount is returned.
The young Corner Brook woman said the man messaged Friday morning and they made an agreement that he would start paying her back if she took the Facebook post down. She did and he sent the $60.
He ensured her she would get the rest of the money.
Chislett is once again is giving him the benefit of doubt.
“I’m going to wait the two weeks and see if anything happens.”
If not she plans to pursue the matter through the court by way of a small claims action.
She has kept records of all the messages exchanged between the two.
As a student, the money she paid for the car was a lot for Chislett and working two jobs makes it difficult to save for another one. That leaves her feeling very disappointed with what’s happened.
The Western Star reached out to the men involved in the matters, but neither responded.
Twitter: WS_DianeCrocker
