An 82‑year‑old veteran has won the right to keep his home with help from a local attorney after a Jacksonville roofing company dropped a lawsuit against him.
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — An 82‑year‑old Vietnam veteran no longer faces foreclosure on his home after a lawsuit against him by a Jacksonville roofing company was dismissed this year.
Lorenzo Neely, a Purple Heart recipient, said he was facing foreclosure after a contractor came to his home promising a new roof through his insurance at no cost. The work was completed, he said, but he later received a notice of foreclosure tied to an outstanding balance the company claimed he owed.
Neely’s case drew attention after a neighbor reached out to First Coast News in December. Neely has been overwhelmed with support since then.
A local attorney took his case pro bono.
Attorney Donato Rinaldi, who represented Neely, said he told the judge in the case that Neely was not the only homeowner facing similar issues with the company, Florida Roof Specialists.
On Feb. 26, the roofer’s attorney dismissed the lawsuit and a satisfaction of lien was later filed in county records, clearing the debt tied to Neely’s property.
“I figured Jesus did that work,” Neely said. “He sent me an angel.”
State records show Florida Roof Specialists was sued by the Florida attorney general’s office in December, 2025 for allegedly misleading homeowners into believing they would only owe their insurance deductible, then later demanding additional money and filing liens on properties when homeowners refused to pay.
The state’s lawsuit says at least 192 consumers have filed complaints against the company since 2020.
Two Jacksonville veterans interviewed by First Coast News in 2024 described similar experiences with the company.
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Rinaldi said Neely’s case should serve as a reminder for homeowners to read documents carefully before signing any contract with a contractor. He urged people to ask questions, take paperwork home to review, watch for false urgency or fake deadlines and to treat a push for an on‑the‑spot signature as a red flag.
“Don’t sign anything unless you understand it,” Rinaldi said. “Ask questions. Take the paperwork home. If a contractor says you have to sign right now, that’s a red flag.”
He said consumers who think they’ve been taken advantage of should still reach out to an attorney, even if they are worried about cost.
“For anybody out there who thinks they’ve been scammed and think they can’t afford attorney, they have no one to talk to, call an attorney anyway,” Rinaldi added. “Because you never know. A lot of these things fall under the auspices of consumer protection. There are statutes in there that that allow you to recover your attorney’s fees if you prevail, so you should be able to afford that attorney.”
The State Attorney’s Office said the related litigation against the roofing company is ongoing. We also reached out to Florida Roof Specialists and their attorney, who said they could not comment on ongoing litigation.