Customers never got granite; company vanished
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Friday, January 2 7:48 AM EST
By Gordon Wilczynski, Macomb Daily Staff Writer
More than 100 customers said they have been fleeced out of thousands of dollars by a national counter top company based in Macomb Township.
Customers told The Macomb Daily they paid anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 to have Rock Tops make and install their granite or marble counter tops. But the company suddenly and without warning closed its doors on Dec. 19 and the customers, many from out of state, were left high and dry.
The owners, Charlie Thiede and Robert Gasiorowski are nowhere to be found. The Macomb Daily made several attempts to reach them during the past week without success.
Their home telephones are now disconnected.
Some customers said they believe Rock Tops bilked people out of $850,000.
Three weeks ago Gasiorowski spoke with several customers who reached him at his home on Colony Drive in Clay Township just east of New Baltimore. The customers said he told them his company folded.
He didn't give his customers any reason for closing. Several customers said they were so dumbfounded when talking to Gasiorowski that they didn't ask him why he closed.
Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel said he believes the case is a civil matter. But he said it could be criminal if investigators show that there was an intent to defraud someone.
Hackel said he heard about the closing Tuesday from Macomb Township Supervisor Mark H. Grabow. Hackel said his detectives are just now beginning an investigation.
Grabow said township officials did a public safety assessment of the building to make sure it is not a safety problem. He also said fire officials checked the building to make sure the township could provide adequate fire protection to the structure if necessary.
Rock Tops has nothing to do with the township but we're very concerned for the employees and customers, Grabow said. Rock Tops was a viable business that employed many of our residents.
Grabow said Rock Tops has locations in four states.
The company's taxes are not current even though they don't own a large amount of money, Grabow said. He said the company owes just over $5,000 in winter property tax.
Marcus Piwonski, who lives in the 21 Mile Road-Romeo Plank area of Macomb Township, said he bought 50 square feet of granite in October for $2,500 for kitchen counter tops. He said he paid $1,200 in October and was supposed to give them $2,500 more before they cut the granite.
They came out and measured the counter tops but never returned, said Piwonski. I tried to call my salesman (Sal Dellacasa of Macomb Township) but his phone is disconnected.
Preng Tarazhi worked as an installer for Rock Tops and hasn't been paid. He was at the company's headquarters on 23 Mile Road this week with faint hopes of picking up two checks.
I came on the (December) 19th because I have two checks Tarazhi told a woman who answered the door at Rock Tops but wouldn't open it. I have two checks inside and I also have some tools in one of the work trucks.
Tarazhi said Rock Tops bosses started cutting his weekly checks by 15 percent without warning. He said he wasn't happy but was glad to have a job.
He said employees were told the company would be closed from Dec. 23 through Jan. 5. He was surprised to see the building with its doors locked.
The company's large trucks are parked in a lot in a way to prevent anyone from taking anything from the building.
I don't know how I'm going to make it, said Tarzhi, who has a wife and three children.
A man who owns an insurance company in Columbus, Ohio, said he bought granite counter tops from the Rock Tops store in a suburb of Columbus.
He said he paid the entire bill and set up Dec. 15 to have an employee come out to his house and take exact measurements.
He said a friend referred him and his wife to Rock Tops. He said they offered a good price compared to other counter top installers and a friend said he had a good experience with them.
My wife and I were excited about this because it was our Christmas gift, the man, who asked to remain anonymous, said. We waited for them to come out to do the measuring but a friend then told us they were out of business.
Then man said he looked at his wife and said, We're screwed. I called the company 30 times and each time I would get a voice mail which then would go to mail box that was full.
The insurance man said he tried to call Rock Tops store in four different states and got no answer. He said he was told by a spokesman for the Macomb County prosecutor's office that it was a civil matter.
All I know is I'm out of a lot of money that I don't have, he said.
Another customer said he has been lied to, taken advantage of and simply ripped off. He said he spent over $5,000 seven months ago for counter tops and they still are not in.
I don't expect them now, he said. The company is both unreliable and unprofessional, said another customer.
Supervisor Grabow said he has been in contact with Sheriff Mark Hackel. He has urged a complete investigation to make sure the company didn't know it was going to fold and still continued to collect money from wouldbe customers.
Grabow said he heard from some people that the company was going to file for bankruptcy.
I was told it is a civil matter and I'm out my money, the Columbus resident said.
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