In Tampa, Florida, Lori Green encountered an unusual situation this summer when she began receiving mail at her residence intended for a business called Level Garage Door, LLC. The company was unfamiliar to her, and initially, she assumed the mail was sent in error.
However, as the volume of mail continued to grow, her curiosity prompted her to investigate further by looking up the company online.
“I found that they were using my address, and it not only used my address, but it gave directions to my home with a picture of my home on the website,” Green said. “We’re on a dead-end street. We get cars drive by slow and look at our house, and it’s ‘what’s that about?’ Are they looking to see if it’s a garage business? It’s alarming.”
The website for Level Garage Door Repair LLC shows Green’s address but a different phone number. She said when she called, a woman hung up on her when she asked why they were using her address.
Green reported the fraud to the Florida Department of State and had to prove she owned her home.
Consumer Investigator Shannon Behnken found public records show that earlier this week the state dissolved the company and sent this letter to the former registered agent of record, Markos Bitroz, at the email account he listed on his application with the state.
But the website with the Greens’ address is still there. When Behnken called the business phone number, she was told they are a “mobile” business, don’t have an address, and have no idea why Green’s address is listed for their business.
The man on the phone thanked me for alerting him and said he would look into this.
Meanwhile, when the mail arrives each day, Green said she worries they’ll receive more for this business.
Public records show this company does not have a license with the state, which is required in order to install garage doors.
The Better Business Bureau said they don’t have specific complaints about this business, but they have a growing number of complaints of garage door companies using other people’s home and business addresses.
The BBB said this is in effort to conceal their true identity.
