Beware Of Bearers Of False Gifts & Broken Promises
Posted on Saturday, 3 of October , 2009 at 9:16 am
COMMENTARY
By June Maxam
WARREN COUNTY–The fourth anniversary of the last voyage of the Ethan Allen has passed, a death cruise on Lake George that resulted in the deaths of 20 of its 47 passengers.
You may not remember the name of the individual responsible but do you remember the nationwide boycott of tourism in Warren County that the son-in-law of two of the victims imposed after the Ethan Allen tragedy because he said justice hadn’t been served in the investigation of the case?
Well, the man’s name is Ronald Zdrojewski of Redford, Mich., and for a long time, he was afraid to set foot in Warren County, afraid that he would be arrested by former sheriff Larry Cleveland.
He took his boycott campaign to the Internet, on message boards and forums.
Now he’s afraid he’s going to be held accountable, as he should be, for a scam which he perpetrated in Warren County. Justice has not been served in representations he made and harm he caused.
There’s a more than a few people angry at Ronald Zdrojewski and while he likely didn’t have any impact on Warren County tourism, he scammed the publisher of The North Country Gazette and her family and caused not only exceptional emotional distress but serious property damage and then walked away, refusing to accept responsibility for the loss that he caused.
Ronald Zdrojewski claims to be retired from the State of Michigan as a social services worker. He claims that his in-laws were among the victims of the Ethan Allen boating tragedy on Lake George in October, 2005 and thereafter, tried to institute a boycott of Lake George and Warren County. He openly boasted on the Internet that he was “after” the sheriff of Warren County. He also claims to be a minister and as such “believes in justice and seek justice”.
“I am going to be ostracized by my wife’s sisters, and my wife is very angry, but I have to say what I have to say. I’m not concerned about any money relating from a law suit, I simply want legal Justice”, Zdrojewski wrote on the Internet in relation to the deaths of his in-laws.
We want legal justice too, we want Zdrojewski held responsible for HIS actions.
It’s likely that most of you have heard the phrase “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”.
While most of us are savvy enough to not fall for an online or email scam, there are plenty of other con artists out there lurking to take advantage of people, especially in the home improvement field.
One of the biggest scams being perpetrated is that by people who call themselves “contractors” or who hold themselves out to being knowledgeable and capable of performing home improvement work or repairs. Some people become victims of dishonest contractors who – among other things – demand advance payments for projects that are never performed, never completed or completed in a shoddy and unprofessional manner.
Some of these “handymen” create total havoc and then walk away. Such is the case of Ronald Zdrojewski who holds himself out to be capable of performing household repairs and allegedly performs carpentry and other handyman services for low income residents and senior citizens in and around the Redford, Mich., area.
Last fall, with the cost of heating fuel skyrocketing, I realized that I could not afford to continue to heat the house of my deceased parents, that it had to be winterized, the water turned off and heating system shut down.
Zdrojewski held himself out to be knowledgeable and capable of performing the winterization task. In an email to us late last September, Zdrojewski, who had remained in touch with the NCG, offered to perform the winterization at my parents house, stating, “I worked in construction after I retired from the State of Michigan as a welfare worker. All along while working for the state, I did repairs for senior citizens who could not afford to pay to have repairs for their homes, since they were on a fixed budget. I did not charge for labor or supplies needed for the repair. If you really need the appropriate repairs completed, then let me know.
“My fee will be gratis, since I’ve been putting off visiting that area as a result of the lawsuit which still prohibits me from actual protest against Shoreline Cruises et alia. At least then, I could take some time to visit the memorial and complete your necessary repairs. Depending on what needs to be accomplished, I will have the repairs completed in a few days or a week. I don’t diddle around. I do electrical, plumbing, carpentry and masonry repairs as well as new construction. I keep myself up to date with new codes from friends who are in the business.
“I’ll get a motel in your area at my expense or Mayor Blais’ expense, since he communicated the invitation. I had to refuse at the time because of a certain Sheriff who was still empowered. That way, I can get an understanding of the area for future reference of protest with my wife and her sister and spouse”, he wrote.
Zdrojewski arrived in early October and spent less than an hour at my parents’ home, supposedly winterizing it. The furnace had been operating in the house when he arrived. The furnace was operable until Zdrojewski appeared.
It was a whirlwind situation, he was back in Michigan less than 24 hours later, having driven the 700+ miles. I questioned to myself at the time if he really knew what he was doing.
In early December, during a routine check of the house following a particularly cold night, I discovered just how inept he had been in his haste. His failure to properly drain the heating system had destroyed it and caused damage throughout the house.
Upon being apprised of the situation, he stated in an email, “I am an individual of my word. I will come up there to replace what needs to be repaired and cleaned”.
But he’s not a man of his word.
In January, he began to drag his feet, claiming it would be several months before he could arrive to clean and repair the damage. After being informed such a delay was not acceptable, instead of calling to discuss the matter, he apparently began randomly calling individuals, including some disreputable contractors, and discussing the matter with them although he didn’t know what he was talking about. He never did call to discuss the matter and damage directly with us.
I contacted Pyrofax Energy, formerly Riverside Gas & Oil, to prepare an estimate to repair or replace the heating system. According to the owner, Zdrojewski had informed them directly that he would be responsible for the costs. But two weeks later, John Stanton of Pyrofax stated that they weren’t accepting any new customers and that Zdrojewski had no account with them. He refused to discuss the matter further.
After Zdrojewski was contacted by an attorney, he ‘lawyered up’ and now refuses to pay for the damage he caused and has barred any further discussion of the matter. The lawyer demanded an estimate of damage which Zdrojewski has already been provided. We cannot afford to fully retain the attorney to seek justice from Zdrojewski. He has created not only a serious financial situation but emotional upset as well, essentially destroying my parents’ home, a home I was trying to protect and preserve.
So, consumer beware. Beware of bearers of false gifts. If anyone can help us with this situation, to hold Zdrokewski accountable for his actions, provide pro bono legal services and help effect the repair of the damage he caused, please contact us at news@northcountrygazette.org
Remember, as much as you would like to do so, you can’t always take people at their word as they will quickly betray that trust. If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is.
For more information about consumer frauds, see http://www.oag.state.ny.us/bureaus/consumer_frauds/about.html
http://www.fbi.gov/majcases/fraud/internetschemes.htm 10-3-09
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Category: Adirondacks, Consumers, Courts, Family, New York State, Opinion, Warren County
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