Mobile residents filled city council chambers again this week to describe how a local roofing and window company took their money and delivered nothing — as the council moves toward a vote on whether the businesses can keep operating in the city.
The public hearing at Tuesday morning’s City Council meeting gave citizens another chance to speak about All Weather Roofing and Construction and Window Depot, two affiliated businesses based at 1172 West I-65 Service Road South that police are investigating for what may total more than $1 million in lost customer deposits.
Veterans, retirees and families
Retired military veteran Eric Nelson told council members he is part of a group of about 100 Mobilians who have collectively lost more than $1 million in deposits to the two companies. He contracted with Window Depot for new windows in January, he said, and received nothing back after his order was delayed for weeks.
We paid for goods that were never delivered and work that was never performed, Nelson said, calling it painfully clear that the businesses participated in an elaborate scheme to steal hard-earned money. There should be swift and stiff penalties, he said.
Nelson went further, questioning what the city had done to protect residents and partially blaming city officials for the losses. He said he fought abroad without expecting to fight at home, and argued the environment that allowed the alleged scheme was enabled by a regulatory environment and local laws that failed to protect consumers, along with slow law enforcement and a district attorney’s office that appeared unwilling to fight for victims.
Katie Morrison told councilors she contracted with Window Depot in December 2025 to replace her home’s windows and paid a $10,000 deposit. For months, she said, she was told the window manufacturing company was slowly working through its orders. Eventually she learned that no order had ever been placed in her name.
This is not simply a collection of unhappy customers, Morrison said. This has affected 100 Mobile families, who have filed police reports. This is not a small business dispute. It is a community crisis.
The investigation
Curtis Graves, the city’s executive director of public safety, confirmed that the criminal investigation now includes roughly 108 victims and more than $1 million in lost funds. He said the Mobile Police Department is working to identify new victims and resolve the situation, and is coordinating with the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office, which will determine whether criminal charges are warranted once the police investigation is complete.
The council responds
The hearing was the second time victims have addressed the council. In June, three women told councilors they paid almost $20,000 combined to the companies and received nothing. Their comments launched the criminal investigation and motivated the council to consider revoking the businesses’ licenses.
District 6 Councilman Josh Woods objected to Nelson’s criticism of the city, saying the council and Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis’ administration acted as quickly as they could to call the public hearing and consider revocation. Woods noted that All Weather Roofing currently holds a business license, but Window Depot’s license has lapsed — meaning the revocation question formally applies to only one of the two businesses.
District 5 Councilman Beau Fleming said he and the rest of the body were a little blown away by the stories shared with them the previous month, and pushed back on any suggestion of neglect. We got here as quickly as we could, he said. I can assure you we are concerned.
What revocation does
The city council has the authority to revoke a business license, which would make it illegal for the company to operate within Mobile city limits. The council is expected to vote on the matter at a later meeting, possibly the following week. A license hold already placed on All Weather Roofing prevents the company from renewing its license, but does not by itself stop it from operating in the meantime.
For the families who have filed police reports, the council’s decision is a first step, not a remedy. Getting money back requires civil action or criminal restitution, and no charges had been filed as of the hearing. The District Attorney’s Office has said it is waiting on the completion of the police investigation before deciding whether to bring criminal charges.
The story is a cautionary tale for consumers on both sides of Mobile Bay: pay attention when a contractor requires a large upfront deposit, verify licensing with the city and the state, and be wary of any contractor whose delivery date keeps sliding while the deposit sits in their account. City officials say the hearing process will continue, and the council’s vote could come as soon as next week.