For sure, online reviews are really helpful to get an idea of the product or services, especially if you are investing a huge amount of money, right? Executive Roof Services (ERS) and a couple named Autumn Knepper and Adam Marsh were involved in a big drama not long ago, regarding online reviews. This story shows how strong those online reviews can be. Well, if you haven’t caught up with this case, and more importantly if you are here to know more about the Executive Roof Services Lawsuit Update, then keep on reading.
How It All Started?
It all began when Autumn Knepper and Adam Marsh had a terrible time with Executive Roof Services. ERS was called by their landlord to look at a roof that was leaking. Autumn hit a wall when she called ERS to ask when they would fix it. From the get-go, the receptionist was very rude. She wouldn’t give her any information, laughed at her, and even said she was verbally abusing her before hanging up. This is what Adam ran into when he tried to call. They were both fed up with being treated this way, so they both chose to post one-star negative reviews on Google to air their complaints.
Why This Executive Roof Services Lawsuit In The First Place?
Well, we know it is a post about the Executive Roof Services Lawsuit Update, but still, let’s talk about how it all began. You see, after those reviews were posted, things got even worse. The owner of ERS, Michael Mecham, wouldn’t have it. He called Autumn and Adam and told them to delete their reviews. He told them he knew where they lived and would sue them for $100,000 if they didn’t pay. There was a lawsuit soon after they called the cops and thought the problem was solved. Though, ERS asked for a huge $112,000 in damages, saying that the other party had slandered them and harmed their business expectations on purpose.
Public Outrage
A lot of people heard about the lawsuit and came together to support Autumn and Adam. Donations quickly poured in, giving them nearly $9,000. This will help pay for their court fees. A lot of bad things were said about ERS on social media, and Yelp even stopped reviews for the company. For sure, the ERS’s effort to shut down the couple backfired spectacularly, bringing even more bad attention to them.
Legal and Social Waves
This case also brought attention to Washington’s Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA), which is meant to protect people from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) suits. UPEPA, which began in July 2021, is meant to stop this kind of abuse. Senator Mike Padden of Washington said that the bill was passed almost unanimously to protect free speech. The ERS lawsuit shows how important these safeguards are. Especially when those opinions are about their own experiences, people should be able to express their views without worrying about a lawsuit.
What’s Happening Now and What’s Next?
The lawsuit between ERS and Autumn and Adam is still going on right now. They have lawyer Devin Robinson on their side, while ERS has lawyer David Bowser. It’s been in the news a lot, and it could set a very important standard. Other businesses might be less likely to file SLAPP suits over bad reviews if Autumn and Adam win.
