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This is a terrible company! Here is the rundown:
In 2005 they were named united steel factory, inc. 2700 w. Cypress creek road d104 ft. Lauderdale fl 33309 fei # [protected]...
On october 7, 2005 they changed their name to united steel building inc. Same address as above,
Now they are in the process of changing again to super steel building, the website doesn't have an address.
These people are slimy and slippery, their names are: mike sparks, deena gastel, sue alder, and jack racklin.
They owe me a rollup door and insulation for my building... The cost is $3, 000 I already paid them and they do not return calls. I had a guy go to their address and they have a sketchy buzzer at the locked door, no receptionist like a legitimate company would have. He asked to speak to sue and they said you need to have an appointment, and they refused to talk to him any longer...
Also... Jalal Ketabi is based out of Texas, he may be assosiated with Whirlwind Steel buildings in TX. USB brokers buildings thru them.
He holds PE licenses in several states.
He was a corporate officer of USB, when USB folded he went straight to Super Steel..coincidence?
Again visit:
unitedsteelbuildingscam.webs.com
Talked with my attorney yesterday about SSB and actions available to us. He recommends that each of us files a complaint with the Florida Attorney General, your own state Attorney General and the SE Florida Better Business Bureau. Additional actions are to file a police report in you home jurisdiction (even though it won't go anywhere) but it gives you the document to send to police in Florida as you file a complaint there. It is clear there are an enormous number of us with hundreds of thousands of our hard earned dollars stolen from us in this criminal scam. They need to be held accountable in court.
Interestingly enough I had an interesting conversation with another steel building fabricator located in Florida (trying to find a replacement building) who was, and had been aware, of Super Steel Buildings and United Steel LLC - he referred to them as crooks. I asked why they had not done something about it as it gave their industry a bad name to which he responded it was not their job. Well, excuse me - duh! My thought at that time was as we pursue our legal recourse with SSB we should also untied and actively identify steel building fabricator in Florida and challenge them on why they let these crooks ruin their business image.
My attorney offered to find us a lawyer in Florida to work with on this; has anyone identified an attorney there yet.
Yes call Gavin caddy.. I gave his number in threads above. There are +15 and counting of us contacting him.
Here's what I received from Mr. Caddy this morning. Although, the one post is correct, if the AG has known about this for 2 yrs...it may not be worth the time/effort/money.
********
Mr. Parkhurst:
Thank you for your inquiry. I am planning on filing suit against Super Steel and all of its principals for Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices (Florida Statutes Ch. 501) amongst other things. I'm interested in representing you and all of the people similarly situated to yourself to keep costs and legal fees way down. Everyone is telling exactly the same story. The more clients I can get, the cheaper it will be for everyone.
I suggest you consider yourself represented and assist me in finding others to join our cause. Let's keep in touch and advise on our findings going forward. Whenever we have a sufficient number of claims, the plan is to file suit. Also, I should tell you that if you've received a "refund" check from Super Steel (probably in the amount of $190.00, ) you should not cash or deposit it, as Super Steel will later claim that you settled with them and thus cannot sue.
I'm saving your contact details for future reference. We will be getting back to you.
Sincerely yours,
Gavin D. Caddy, Esq.
Board Certified Construction Lawyer
The FL AG is supposedly already looking into William Knote & United Steel for Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices (Florida Statutes Ch. 501)as of Spring this year.
Problem is: They have taken no action and are well aware of other slimy Knote enterprises( Building Steel Inc., & Super Steel) allowing more out-ot state victims to accumulate substantial damages.
USB has recently been successfully sued, lost, and refused to satisfy judgement. It is tough to sue a theif and then have them act in good faith. Oddly, Willie Knote, Howard Zimmerman, & friends do have the money to fund an attorney(Jeffrey Berlowitz) and continue to form sham companies though.
I am all for a class action, we we will win hands down, but collecting is another issue in itself and is highly unlikely.
I can tell you from experience, the lawyers involved are the only ones getting paid. If a class action materializes, be sure there is a plan to seize assets of corporate officers including after-the-fact damages...guarenteed, in the event of a win. Otherwise, attorneys get paid and victims get pennies or nothing.
Hate to be a nay-sayer but I speak from experience. USB has cost me 3 times what I was taken for and I am still at square one.
A group trip to Florida is in order, embarrass Florida Attorney General, Bill McCollum, candidate for Governer and get the attention of the media. I have Knote's address, let's camp on his lawn and let the world know he is a THIEF!
Approx. 100 victims and counting... $500, 000...$750, 000...over $1, 000, 000, who knows. The AG doesn't, but Knote continues living large.
FYI.. for what its worth I have been emailing the information to some of the newspapers in Fl hoping one of them will look into this. Those papers in Miami and Ft Lauderdale may have an interest since this scam happened in their backyard.
Hi friends, I have contacted my local FBI, they were very nice, they said that there is a dollar amount limit, maybe that is another complaint that you should all file. This is an internet fraud issue, Super Steel would not be able to be so effective at their scam if they did not have the internet to hide behind..give it a try...
Glad to see this website is back up. Was being to think they had it pulled down to try and stop us from communication with one another.
I have now filed a complaint against Super Steel Building with the IRS, I have used Form 3949 A. Maybe if we get the IRS after them it will shut them down, I had rather the government have part of the money that I have lost than these scam people.
Me too! I'm so paranoid now that I've been scammed. I'm questioning everything, like WHAT DID THESE CRIMINALS DO WITH ALL OUR $$$$? I'm sure they could live well, but I fear it could be funneled into a larger violent criminal activity. I filed my complaint with FL Attorney Gen'l, Louisiana AG, State of LA engineer office because Jalal Ketabi has been registered since 1997 and they investigate fraud also. I spoke with my bank and credit card company. I called Maimi police and have to call back this morning. Today I will do more reports, again in hopes of preventing this from happening to someone else in the future, and possibly reducing funds for their criminal activity. The question that has nagged me is "Did they use our funds for terrorist activity? human trafficking? drug smuggle? child porn?" They stole so much money over so many years under mulitple "business" names? Has the FBI followed their money? The check for $190 was from a Bank of America account, does BofA have an investigation open on this account this is laundering large amounts of criminal money - obtained by felony theft?
I'm adding the IRS to my list. I'm also nervous about calling the attorney and committing further funds to this that may not produce anything. I'd rather spend the money on a plane ticket...
We just got back from Houston FBI, Told us we need to file FBI complaint in Miami, Thats our federal govt. at work for you. I plan on building case for FBI in Miami. Need to collect prior company names these crooks have used and names of ring leaders and establish intent. I could use witnesses for FBI, Please give name and phone numbers, if you are interested in bringing these slime balls to justice. e-mail to bk5dragon@aol.com. I will travel to Miami within the week.
Jalal Ketabi cell phone - [protected]
I just talked to the FBI in Albuquerque, she was great told me we had to go to www.ic3.gov this is their internet crime division and file a complaint, if more than 20 people have been scammed over the internet that they will file against them. They said to include as many victims on my complaint as I can. I will include the numbers and addresses that I have that have been listed on this web site
Send you name and phone number and losses to bk5dragon@aol.com. We are geting together a list of victims to take with us to the miami F.B.I. office.
I have already filed a complaint with the FBI internet crime division. Just received my case number back by email. I'll send you my name Wimberly but we are already on file with them.
jn2375 Thank You. The Houston F.B.I told us the more names we get together the better chance we have on pressing charges.
Where to begin? I ordered a building from USB on Feb.26th, 2008. I gave them a deposit for drawings on Feb. 27th and then on April 17th I gave them a deposit for fabrication. On June 12th, 2008 I received an email saying steel prices had gone up and they wanted more money, the amount was half of what my original building cost. At the time I bought my building Jack Rachlin kept telling me to "LOCK IN" the price because they knew then that steel prices where on the rise. They should have already had the steel purchaced for my building before the rise in steel prices and should have already had my building fabricated by June. I refused to pay the extra amount and retained a lawyer, well that didn't help at all, most of the time USB's lawyer (Jeffrey Berlowitz) wouldn't even return calls, emails or letters sent by my lawyer. I plus over 80 other victims of USB have all filed complaints with Florida BBB, Attorney General in Florida, the Unfair & Deceptive Trade Pratices office, the Police dept. in Fort Lauderdale, the Miami FBI Special Agent Jonathan Ostroman (#[protected]), Inernet Crime Complint Center, Florida Agriculture & Consumer Services, and numerous lawyers all to no avail. One Florida lawyer, John Uustal was all gun ho in getting a class action suit filed and did so, but after a year of it sitting in the courts waiting for a trial date, he turned it over to Gary Farmer. Mr. Uustal gave the case up because he says it is not a civil case anymore but a criminal case and recovery is not likely. As of today the class action case is still pending a date as far as I know, my last comunication with Mr. Farmer was on Feb. 9th, 2010 saying that USB's lawyer (Jeffrey Berlowitz) had left his firm and that he was trying to locate him and that Mr. Farmer would keep me informed! HA! That was over 5 months ago. I am urging you, don't waste your money on lawyers, even if they get a court date or if luck would have it, finally a ruling from a judge, you WILL NOT get your building or your money back. They are in contempt of court and yet they show up at that same courthouse for other cases and aren't being arrested. WHY? WHO is on their payroll? The Judge? The Police? The Attorney General? You tell me how the Attorney General's office can have over 80 complaints for USB and now more on SSB and yet they just keep sending people the same letter back advicing them to file complaints with other organizations? All they do is send you back letters saying their organization can't help you and for you to get a lawyer. This has gone on for over 3 years for me and yet the Attorney General's office is sitting on this and letting others get scamed, why? The same names keep coming up time and time again, Howard Zimmerman, William Knote, Jack Rachlin, Sue Adler, Melissa Moonilal, Deena Gastel, Jeffrey Berlowitz, Jalal Ketabi, Theodore Knote, and a few otheres. Zimmerman & William Knote have also been accositated with at least 14 other companies in the last 10 years.
I was scammed by Super Steel Buildings for over $16, 000. I am interested in joining any class action lawsuit or FBI investigation. I Live in Texas
PDP50 I also live in Texas (Houston) Do you want to pay a visit to Jalal Ketabi? I plan on also going to Florida to See the Attorney General.
Well put John in KS.
You speak for dozens of others.
Super Steel "customers" please visit :
unitedsteelbuildingscam.webs.com
and sign the guestbbook or post comments.
It may save you a lot of time & trouble, USB "customers" have been thru this. Feel free to drop me a note, I would like to complile a list of you; location, $ amount, etc.
I have info for about 30 + USB victims and am curious as to the extent of the SSB ripoffs. BBB lists 11 complaints over the last 36 months. I am guessing that is the tip of the iceberg.
Why isn't Floria AG or FBI following this stolen money trail? USB and SSB together, with their other companies - maybe over a million scammed? Do they pay income tax on it? And I still think it's going to terriorist missions and training camps, all those company official names should be on a "no fly list"
I am also compiling a list at bk5dragon@aol.com to give to the AG and FBI. If it is going to do any good who knows! USB and SSB have some of the same names involved, If these names are correct who knows!
Some quick numbers:
Of the approx. 40 USB victims I have info on $601, 675.77 given to USB.
I have left off some for lack of verification, and there is the possibility some have recieved refunds or goods(I doubt it).
Of the approx. 20 or so posting here, with 14 posting amounts lost
total is $150, 793.
Keep in mind there are over 80 complaints against USB and the # of Super Steel complaints have yet to be determined.
USB average of $15, 041.89 x 80 =$1, 203, 351.54
SSB average of $10, 770.93 x ? = $ ?
Here's the phone numbers and emails of the investigation unit of the MiamiHerald if some of us want to drop them an email or call maybe we could get them to look into this. I believe this is a big explosive story just sitting in their backyard.
Investigations Michael Sallah, Editor [protected] MSallah@MiamiHerald.com Ronnie Greene, Editor [protected] RGreene@MiamiHerald.com
Victims of Super Steel Buildings. I have been in contact with Jalal Ketabi. He tells me SSB also owes him monies. He quit a while back. I ask him if he new Tracie Turner, Jamie, Melane Johnson, Suzanne Morgan, Scott, and Marie Martin. He never herd of those names. He dealt with two people and only saw two people their in Florida. Suzanne Knote and William Knote. I asked which Manufacture was used for the buildings and he said Whirlwind out of Houston. I just got off the phone with them and they told me no buildings are in fabrication under United Steel Buildings, AKA Super Steel Buildings and they are not dealing with Suzanne Knote or William Knote any more.. They can not give out any more info because of litigation and laywers. These names they tell us are probably made up. I also recieved a call from UPS today telling me my certified letter with the settlement check for $190.00 could not be delivered to 1031 Ives Dairy Rd ste 228 Miami 33179 the carrier was told they moved. I will be calling the phone numbers listed above Thank You. Every Body envolved needs to call them.
Winberly,
Wow just Wow! The more we investigate this the more it seems like a front group for something else and we've been caught up in it.
Add Arizona to the list. We too paid the deposit for our building, dealing with Marie of SSB. Ready to pour the foundation, and SSB is closed, out of business, disconnected, laughing all the way to the bank with all of our money.
I strongly suggest that if any of you paid any of your money to SSB via a credit card, that your first call be to your credit card company. Second call should be to determine if they had cashed your check.
What are the links so we can all file the appropriate complaints?
Jajal ketabi was the secretary of the corporation with Tracy turner listed as president. Hard to believe he don't know Tracy Turner. You can view the corporate officers on the following link copy and paste the entire thing in your address bar. Look at the amendment on [protected] pdf file.
http://www.sunbiz.org/scripts/cordet.exe?action=DETFIL&inq_doc_number=P06000112713&inq_came_from=NAMFWD&cor_web_names_seq_number=0000&names_name_ind=N&names_cor_number=&names_name_seq=&names_name_ind=&names_comp_name=SUPERSTEELBUILDINGS&names_filing_type=
dana545454,
The steps we have taken and people we have contacted are listed just go back a few pages on this board. There are so many people posting here you will have to go back and read the earlier posts. Seems like there are new people who have been scammed by Super Steel showing up daily.
I was taken by this slime company for 7, 220.00. I am running through the list. My states attorney, contacting the lawyers, Florida's states attorney. The internet division is interesting. I will pursue that as well. I know I will probably never see any of this money but I am not going to let these crooks get away with it! Everyone fight hard and don't give up! Strength in numbers!
You are all so good for me, I get to feeling down and I go back and read how determined you all are and it inspires me. These people need to be stopped and we are going to be the ones to do it. Who ever is going to the Knotes house I am curious as to how high they are living on our money. Thank you..
At this point I don't belive anybody I am just trying to get answers to our questions and put some nonpeople in Jail! I am still building my list to send to the Miami AG and the FBI If you want to send your name, phone contact and losses to bk5dragon@aol.com I will send them to those Tax Payer Services. or take them with me when I travel to Miami. I have eight names so far. Thank You.
Received my letter from the Attorney Generals Economics Crime Div.today. Basically saying their office excercises statutory authority to enforce Chapter 501. Part II Florida Statutes, known as Fl Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Their office focuses its enforcement efforts on business practices by companies which harm numerous consumers in more than one judicial circuit. They use the information to develop patterns of business activity which may indicate the need for formal investigations or action by their office to protect the broad public interest. They will maintain my complaint to assist with any possible investigation or action. They then advise us to contact Fl Dept of Agr and Consumer Services [protected] or www.800helpfla.com. Which I have already done on 7-2 but have received no reply from them yet.
It is important for everyone to file a complaint with them, the more complaints the better the chance they will act on this.
The Attorney Generals Office out of West Palm Beach, Florida contacted me today to update my info and said that their attorney's are talking with USB's attorney. Not sure, but I think Jeffrey Berlowitz is no longer USB's attorney, but does still represent William Knote & Howard Zimmerman, so I am not sure what attorney they are talking to. He did tell me that the FBI out of Miami has done their investigation and has now turned their findings over to the Attorney General's Office. I guess now we wait to see what the Attorney General is going to do. I did tell (Jay) he didn't give me a last name, of the Attorney General's office in West Palm Beach, that he would probably be receiving many more complaints about Zimmerman & Knote concerning Super Steel, because these are the same people going under a different business name and that they have done the same thing to many more people. So I would suggest that all of you get on the phone and call the Attorney General ASAP! This is the most possitive information we have gotten in the 3 years that we have been fighting USB, lets hope the Attorney General is finally going to do something about these scamers and get our money back!
Charles n LA I JUST SENT EMAILS TO EVERY SHOW ON FOX NEWS LETS GET NATINAL ATINTION AFTER ALL THE SCAM IS NATION WIDE
MORE INFO...
TRACIE TURNER, President of Super Steel, Inc. may be a ficticious entity but William Knote is not. Florida State records have a number listed for Turner as [protected]. I do not know if it is valid. Give it a try...
JALAL KETABI, PE, is no innocent dupe. He has stamped plans for United Steel for years. Understand this: both USB and SSB are in violation of Florida Statute 471. To offer or engage in "engineering", the engineer needs to be on the articles of incorporation. Ketabi, is referred to in the biz as a 'plan stamper'. USB/SSB send 'stampers' plans prepared by staff or guy-off-the-street, whomever, and for a fee, stamper will look them over and stamp if all is good. Some of these guys get daily deliveries of plans for approval, this is particular to the metal building industry. Highly unethical practice in the field of engineering. Ketabi/Knote tried to make it look legit by putting a PE(Ketabi) on as a corporate officer(Secretary) to comply with law. No doubt for a bigger cut of our $$$. So USB packs it in, Ketabi jumps ship to SSB with Knote using the same MO. The FL Board of Profession Engineers dropped the ball on this one, they had a complaint last year regarding this scam and were fully informed.
...NOW, are to believe Ketabi had no idea what was going on? He was after all a CORPORATE officer of both companies.
...BY becoming a FL licensed engineer, Ketabi, also agrees to know, understand, and abide by the codes set forth in that state.
In short, USB/SSB was/is operating as an unqualified & unlicensed "engineering" business under FL Statute 471... except ...when Ketabi was a Corporate Officer.
I have seen the complaint filed with FBPE. The complaint was filed before Ketabi was Secretary...months before. But who for USB responded to the complaint?
Ketabi...stating he had worked on the plans, but acting only as engineer...and not responsible for the actions of the company. This on USB letterhead, dated during the time he was Secretary.
SOOO, he's not responsible because...WHY? He's the engineer, who is a corporate officer of the company, but he is not at fault because he is only the engineer?
Please file multiple complaints with the FBPE against both the company and Ketabi.
links are posted at: unitedbuildingscam.webs.com
John, KC
Thanks John thats the best news I've heard since this mess started. We need to keep working together we may be getting somewhere.
hum, I wonder since I posted the names and email address above for the MiamiHerald and asked everyone to contact them if maybe they aren't looking into this and the Attorney Generals office doesn't want bad press. (I can only hope)
Everyone please contact the miamiherald with your story on what SSB has done to you, the more complaints they get the better chance they will act on it.
Trying to find all the people who have been scammed by Super Steel is probable an impossible task, but I have found that if you use Google as a search engine on your computer you can set a "google alert" to send you emails if any new postings are made on on the internet for Super Steel Buildings. I have been able to find several people that way and try and direct them to this site so they can join us in fighting SSB.
If you think Jalal Ketabi is a innocent bystander in all of this, take a look at this site. About half way down the page click on View Full Screen, very interesting that he is associated with 4 other companies. Also found this bit of info on Jalal Ketabi,
The Board voted to accept the following consent order for practicing on an expired license:
Jalal Ketabi, Cypress, TX
The Georgia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors will hold its next meeting Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. at the Professional Licensing Boards Division office in Macon.
http://www.corporationwiki.com/Florida/Hallandale-Beach/super-steel-buildings-inc-5273774.aspx