Contractor Charged With Home Improvement Fraud In Bucks Co.: DA

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — A Huntingdon Valley contractor was charged with home improvement fraud on Wednesday after an investigation determined that he took money from several Bucks County homeowners for work and did not keep his end of the deal.

Joseph Eibell, 47, faces four counts each of receiving advance payment for services and failing to perform, deceptive business practices, theft by deception, and receiving stolen property; all of these charges are felonies. He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Stacy Wertman and was remanded to Bucks County Correctional Facility under $2.5 million bail.

The investigation, which was conducted by the Upper Southampton Township Police Department, found that from 2019 to the present, Eibell had accepted advanced payments for work through his Upper Southampton Township-based home improvement business, 3 Brothers Renovation, and then failed to perform the represented quantity of work.

The investigation also found that Eibell had performed work as 3 Brothers Waterproofing and 3 Brothers Exteriors.

One homeowner, a Bristol Township man, hired Eibell to complete several jobs at his home in April of 2019. The amount totaled $120,000 for a project that was supposed to have included a new roof and an addition to his home.

A series of deposits and advance payments, each equaling $82,000, were made to Eibel between April 2019 and September 2019. The man also paid $20,000 directly to a store for kitchen cabinets and materials. After making the payment, investigators found that Eibell had redirected the funds and used them to purchase materials for other properties.

3 Brothers Renovation performed some work on the Bristol Township man's home, but nothing was completed, and the project was abandoned leaving the home in an unlivable condition. The damage done to the home left it vulnerable to storm damage. When the man attempted to get insurance compensation through 3 Brothers Renovations’ insurance company, the victim learned that the policy listed with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office was not valid, authorities said.

A second victim, a Bristol Borough woman, said she hired his company to remediate water damage caused by a plumbing issue, a project that would cost $50,000, and she was required to make a deposit of $15,000 that was split into two checks. After approximately one month with no progress on the project, Eibell requested an additional $15,000 for materials, according to authorities. The homeowner paid that money in July 2021, but the work stopped on the projects, and the materials she paid for never arrived, investigators determined. She said she made numerous unsuccessful attempts to get Eibell to repay the deposits and provide the purchased materials.

A third victim, a Falls Township man, said he hired 3 Brothers Renovations in July 2021 to complete several renovations on his property for a total of $90,000. The man had made six of the 10 payments, $9,000 each, totaling $54,000. After many excuses and delays, the project remained incomplete and ultimately the victim sold the property to a real estate investor who arranged to complete the work, authorities said. The victim told authorities she attempted to recoup the advance payments from Eibell.

A fourth victim, an Upper Southampton Township woman, said she hired 3 Brothers Renovations to complete three renovations to the exterior of her home, including stone pavers, decking, and stairs, in October 2021. Eibell requested separate deposits for each of the three phases of the project and an additional fee for drawings and permits. She paid Eibell $24,400 through four checks; Eibell then cashed the checks. No work for her projects was ever performed, according to authorities. The victim told investigators she made several unsuccessful attempts to recover her deposits.

The Bucks County District Attorney's Office believes there might be more victims of Eibell's fraudulent business practices. Anyone who believes they have been a victim is asked to contact Upper Southampton Township Police Detective James W. Shirmer at jschirmer@ustwp.org or the District Attorney’s Office at www.bucksda.org.