There are major developments involving a Perrysburg home builder as of Friday. WTOL has learned that Slaske Building Company has closed its doors, throwing more than a dozen people out of work, and leaving several home building projects unfinished.
Ralph Slaske has been a home builder in Northwest Ohio for more than a decade and recently expanded his business to open Perrysburg Kitchens and more.
That business, on Louisiana Avenue in Perrysburg, also shuttered Friday.
In addition to the business closing, at least one family has filed suit in Wood County Common Pleas Court against Slaske and Slaske Building Company, alleging their home was not completed as promised. The suit also alleges breach of contract, and fraud done with malice.
WTOL's Tim Miller has been working this story for more than a week and said that at least one former employee expressed concerns about the future direction of the company.
Scott Fressie, a former project manager for Slaske Building Company, showed WTOL a home on Wilford Drive in Sylvania Township, also built by the company.
The house has a number of flaws.
"Then I kind of put him to the number one status in Ohio, number one builder when I worked with him and I pushed him to the top. So he got a nice status and it kind of, might have went to his head and after that, it just spirals," said Fressie.
Fressie said the home in Sylvania Township has sat on Wilford Drive for eight months, flaws and all, without even being sided.
He believes tradesmen haven't been paid and he doubts if even the dumpster or "port a potty" on site have been paid for.
Fressie said Slaske fired him a year and a half ago when Fressie didn't agree with Slaske's business tactics.
In addition, Fressie thinks 12 to 15 homes in all haven't been finished, leaving homeowners to potentially have to pay out of pocket.
"This is the biggest investment of your life, for most people. And they're probably broken at this point," Fressie said. "The money is not there to finish the job now and I'm sure it's definitely not up to par where the money should be, so they're going to have to come out of pocket to pay for the remaining work that needs to be done."
WTOL also learned the Ohio Attorney General's Office had two complaints on file from 2016 against Slaske's Perrysburg Kitchen store that alleges shoddy work and projects not being completed.
Calls to Ralph Slaske and to his businesses have not been returned from WTOL. His business phone was disconnected.
Ralph Slaske was the builder behind the 2017 St. Jude Dream Home in Perrysburg.
