- A couple reportedly gave a roofing company bad reviews, saying a receptionist was rude to them.
- The couple say the company's owner demanded that they take down the reviews.
A couple from Vancouver, Washington, is being sued for $112,000 after leaving one-star Google reviews of a roofing company, the Portland outlet KGW8 reported.
Autumn Knepper and Adam Marsh told the local broadcaster they each wrote negative reviews of Executive Roof Services after two phone calls with one of the company's receptionists turned sour.
Now, the roofing company has served papers accusing them of defamation and intentional interference with business expectancy, according to Newsweek.
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Knepper told KGW8 she called the office of Executive Roof Services to discuss how soon the company would be able to repair a leak in their attic. She said the receptionist on the other end of the phone, however, was dismissive.
"She refused to give me any information," Knepper recalled. "She said I would have to get it from the landlord. I asked to speak with the manager, and she laughed at me. She told me I was verbally abusing her and that she was the office manager. She hung up on me."
Marsh said he had a similar experience with the same woman.
KGW8 reported that the couple posted their reviews and also filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau because they hadn't received a report on the expected timeline of the work.
Knepper told the outlet that shortly later, however, they were contacted by the company's owner, Michael Mecham.
"He told me that he knew where I lived," Knepper said. "He said he had forensics guy and that he would gladly spend a hundred thousand dollars suing me."
She said that she later received a text demanding that she take down her review before "more damages are done," the local broadcaster reported.
Knepper said she responded by calling the police and thought that was "the end of it." It wasn't.
In late June, the couple was served a lawsuit filed on behalf of Executive Roof Services.
"Honestly, I cried immediately," Knepper told KGW8. "I was terrified. I can't afford a lawyer. I can't afford to pay $112,000. And I can't, I don't want to file for bankruptcy."
David Bowser, an attorney representing the roofing company, told the local broadcaster that the lawsuit was centered on Knepper and Marsh's intent, which he described as "improper."
"They intentionally harmed ERS by posting one-star reviews for the purpose of getting a report they weren't entitled to," Bowser said.