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Fence company owner apologizes, plans to answer to warrants
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WALKER - A businessman wanted by the law tells 2 On Your Side that the coronavirus is to blame for his troubles.
William Bozarth is wanted in Ascension and Livingston Parishes on theft and contractor fraud charges. The Tiger Fences owner says he's learned from the past few months and apologizes to those who have been affected.
"These customers have been waiting a long time, I myself would be upset," Bozarth said. "We are upset because this is not how we do business, it's not how we've ever done business."
Bozarth contacted 2 On Your Side's Brittany Weiss for an interview Wednesday after a series of reports ran on WBRZ involving his customers. Those customers told 2 On Your Side they had waited months for a product that was supposed to take weeks.
Samuel Blocker's fence took four months to install after he paid a $1,400 deposit in May. He was told the fence would be installed in about three weeks but it wasn't installed until Sept. 23.
"It kind of stinks that we had to fight so much, over four months, to just get six hours of time. But it's done now, and I'm happy with how it looks," said Blocker.
Bozarth, explained to WBRZ why it took so long. He says during the stay-at-home order in April, his call volume picked up.
"People are at their house every day seeing stuff they wanted to get fixed," he said. "The material just left the market. I mean, you couldn't find a picket."
He went looking for supplies in Kentucky and didn't have success. Bozarth says his phones have been jammed with calls from customers demanding answers and employees left because of the chaos. He says he's sorry to who it's affected.
"I apologize to them, but we're doing all we can to do - what we've always done for the customers," Bozarth said.
These last few weeks Bozarth says materials are slowly becoming available, but not at the rate they were available before the pandemic started in March. The materials are also at an elevated cost, at $4-5 more per square foot. It's a cost Bozarth says he is not passing down to customers under contract who have been waiting. Since 2 On Your Side first started inquiring about project delays at Tiger Fences, Bozarth says his backlog has shrunk from 80 to about 20 fence projects and he hasn't given a residential estimate since the end of June.
"I wouldn't be in any business if I had to go through this. But it's made me a better business person going forward, and I'll be prepared for anything next time," Bozarth said.
Wednesday, Bozarth says he's turning himself in on those charges in Ascension and Livingston Parishes.
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