Standing with Bob and Laurie: A Call for Support

The Amos Family Kids (Jessica, Kellie, and Shaun) are asking for help for our loving parents, Bob and Laurie Amos. For over 10 years, our dad has poured his heart and soul into Cornerstone Remodeling Group, a small residential remodeling company right here in St. Louis Park, MN. He's always believed in hard work and honest dealings, serving our community with generosity, reliable service, a friendly face, and THE biggest heart you've ever met. If you've met Bob in person, you know this to be true.

Recently, our family has been faced with an unexpected and deeply concerning challenge. An independent contractor my dad hired several years ago is attempting to take advantage of my dad's business through a lawsuit with claims that are simply not true, and certainly not reasonable. This contractor worked on a couple of our dad’s projects over a 10-week period, and was paid for all his time. A couple months later however, Bob was notified that he and the business were being sued for $300,000, for his claim of being treated more like an employee than a contractor. He sued for fraud, misrepresentation, potential future lost wages, and emotional stress, which none of them were true.

So, this started an agonizing 3 ½ year journey. We found out that if a business is sued in MN, it is required to defend itself with legal representation. The costs started to add up quickly. This contractor, after losing two different attorneys, ended up representing himself, while Bob had to have expensive legal representation. So, as this person wasn’t in any particular hurry, the bills were piling up for Bob and Laurie, which apparently was part of the plan. Bob’s attorney discovered that our parents were the 3rd company this man had sued in a similar way. The attorney also said this contractor most likely had this planned from the time he replied to our independent contractor ad.

Sure enough, when the lawsuit reached the District Court, it was completely dismissed. It was a time of relief and celebration, only to learn 60 days later this guy appealed the District Court’s decision, and the Appellate Court wanted to see more of the discovery process. So back into more expense and stress.

As the lawsuit continued, the attorney let it be known that it would cost another $100-$150,000 on top of over $100k spent to this point. Our parents could not afford to continue to litigate all the way, so as painful as it was, they had to agree on a settlement. The case has cost our parents about $110,000 in legal fees, including the settlement. The settlement is $30,00 with another $22,000 of legal fees still outstanding. This has been devastating on their finances and on the business. The business will close very soon and my dad will need to find work elsewhere because of this hardship. The wheels are set in motion now, but we're hoping beyond hope that our community can help support Bob and Laurie to at least cover some legal fees and settlement requirements. This former contractor is not seeking justice for any wrongdoing; he's seeking to take advantage and demand money that my parents simply don't have, plain and simple.

My dad is not one to ask for help. He's always been the one offering it. It's with a heavy heart, but knowing the immense pressure he's under, that we, his family, have decided to reach out to our community, friends, and anyone who believes in fairness and supporting small businesses. Any and all donations will go directly to pay for current and ongoing legal fees and settlement costs that are unavoidable. All we ask is to think about how Bob and Laurie have touched your lives and hearts in the past 20, 30, or 40 years. They have given so much of themselves to support their community, and now it's time to help support them through this immense hardship.

THANK YOU for anything you can give. On behalf of Bob, Laurie, Jessica and Dave Hilden, Kellie and Ian Middleton, and Shaun and Rita Amos - we're all so grateful for your generosity and prayers. We promise to keep you updated on how your funds will directly impact this ongoing situation.