Toledo Couple Left in Limbo After Contractor Fails to Complete Home Repairs

TOLEDO, Ohio — A Toledo couple says they are living a nightmare after a contractor hired to repair their tornado-damaged home left them with an unfinished project and no way to get their money back. Todd and Jill Nidek, whose home was severely damaged in the 2023 tornado that tore through Toledo’s Point Place neighborhood, claim they were taken advantage of by a local contractor, Rodney Vaughn, of Signature Roofing and Remodeling.

According to the Nideks, they hired Vaughn to replace their roof, siding, and windows, and to build a new exterior front entryway. After a neighbor recommended Vaughn’s services, the couple paid over $30,000 in advance, believing they had found a reliable professional to help restore their home.

However, months later, the Nideks say they have little to show for their investment. “We’ve paid him over $30,000 so far and we don’t have any materials and barely any work done,” Jill Nidek said.

The trouble began after the contractor arrived in the fall of 2023 to start work. Vaughn’s team removed the home’s siding, but according to the Nideks, the work stopped there. “Mid-November was the last time they were here,” Jill Nidek explained. “They promised us it would be done before Christmas, and here we are.”

The Nideks said that since then, Vaughn has been unresponsive to their calls and emails. Despite multiple attempts to reach him, neither the Nideks nor the I-TEAM could get a response from Vaughn.

Todd Nidek expressed the frustration of the couple: “We’ve been the most understanding people you could probably ever, ever deal with; and it’s been 18 months and you can get a house built in six.”

With no siding and no completed repairs, the Nideks are now in a difficult position. They say they can’t afford to pay another contractor to fix the issues and are left waiting in hopes that Vaughn will return to finish the work he started.

The Nideks now feel they have been taken advantage of. “We’ve tried to be so patient and so understanding,” Jill Nidek said. “But we’re to the point where we feel like we’re being taken advantage of.”

As of now, the Nideks are still holding out hope for a resolution, but the ongoing lack of communication from Vaughn has left them in a state of uncertainty. The situation has raised questions about the reliability of local contractors and the challenges homeowners face when dealing with incomplete home repairs.