Columbia County contractor accused of taking $6,300 from Brandonville homeowner, failing to perform work
BRANDONVILLE – A Columbia County man is facing felony charges after East Union Township Police say he took $6,300 from a Brandonville homeowner for siding work and never performed that work.
Timothy J. Hoffman, 51, of 6 Central Avenue, Almedia, Scott Township, was charged earlier this month with felony theft by deception, deceptive business practices, and receiving advanced payment for work and failing to perform said work.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Chief Thomas J. Rentschler, Tyler Long and Janice Ashman contracted with Hoffman’s company, H&F Contracting, to perform siding work at their Brandonville home on March 31, 2023.
The total cost of the work was $8,430 and they provided a deposit of $4,200 that day.
They provided another check in April for $2,100, and both checks were cashed, police said.
On April 11, the family tried to contact Hoffman asking when workers would be at the home to begin work and they received no response. Texts from then through July also went unanswered.
Attempts to contact the company and a worker at the company also failed.
Workers did visit the home at one point to do work, but the pair said they merely “ripped things off the residence and never replaced them.”
They asked the company for the funds to be returned if the work wouldn’t be done and, again, they said the received no response, according to the criminal complaint.
Hoffman, Rentschler said, also did not return multiple calls from police.
Charges were filed in Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker’s Shenandoah courtroom on Jan. 16, and Hoffman was arraigned there on Jan. 17 and released on $50,000 unsecured bail.
A preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 8.
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