By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
A Hays contractor is suing three people for defamation after the owner said they falsely linked the contractor to another defunct company that has been found liable for fraud.
Timberline Construction, owned by Jacob Proffitt, is suing Hays residents Joshua and Ashley Taylor and Ashley's brother, Jonathan Samson of Atwood, for defamation.
Joshua and Ashley Taylor were victims of a fraud case involving Straight Line Remodeling. Straight Line became insolvent in 2025. According to court records, Straight Line accepted funds from eight victims for home construction or remodeling projects and abandoned those projects when the company became insolvent.
Straight Line and its owner, Rodney Rippe, were found liable and settled for $1 million in damages in a civil fraud case brought by the Kansas Attorney General's Office.
According to the fraud case against Rippe, he owed the Taylors $799,000. That included the amount they paid Rippe to complete their home and the $239,578 in liens on the home from other businesses. Rippe agreed in his settlement to pay the Taylors $250,000 in restitution, according to court records.
Proffitt said his Company, Auman Company, had worked as a subcontractor for Straight Line on previous projects.
However, he said at Taylor's home, he allegedly worked directly for the Taylors. He said he refused to work as a subcontractor for Straight Line because he alleged Straight Line had not paid Auman Company for prior subcontractor work.
Proffitt alleges in a lien filed against the Taylors’ property that the Taylors still owe Auman Company more than $111,000, which includes interest, for work the company did on the Taylors’ home.
The Taylors counter sued Auman and other contractors to invalidate the liens. They allege in their lawsuit that they do not owe Auman Company or the other contractors because they were subcontractors.
The Taylors submitted to the court an invoice that included $15,000 paid to Rippe for HVAC work allegedly done by Auman Company. Proffitt said he never received that money.
Proffitt alleges Rippe had no authority to collect for Auman Company work because he alleges Auman Company was not a subcontractor.
The bids submitted to the court records do not bear the Taylors’ signatures. There is a note at the bottom of the bid stating that the Taylors allegedly verbally OKed the work through Rippe.
A hearing for summary judgment concerning the liens on the Taylors’ home by the contractors is set for 10:30 a.m. Friday in front of Judge Curtis Brown in Ellis County District Court.
In 2023, Proffitt said he bought Rippe's building from him. Proffitt alleges that Rippe was supposed to rent the building from him after the sale, but Proffitt alleges Rippe never paid the rent. Proffitt shared the lease agreement with the Hays Post.
Proffitt said in an interview with the Hays Post that he extended Rippe a $1 million line of credit when he was doing business as Straight Line. Proffitt said he listed all Straight Line’s unsecured property as collateral. Proffitt also shared the signed credit agreement with the Hays Post.
Rippe never repaid the loan, Proffitt alleged.
Proffitt alleges he was unaware of Rippe's financial situation and had never looked at Rippe's books.
"I never had anything to do with Straight Line other than now I am a landlord, and I am a bank to him," Proffitt said.
When the Straight Line became insolvent in 2025, Proffitt purchased equipment from Straight Line at the market price, less the debt owed to other creditors, under the supervision of a licensed bankruptcy attorney, according to the defamation lawsuit, Proffitt and documents provided by Proffitt.
Proffitt said he opened Timberline Construction in May 2025.
Proffitt said he hired Rippe as an hourly employee of Timberline Construction in July 2025. According to the defamation lawsuit, Rippe has no ownership or management role at Timberline. Proffitt said he also hired some former Straight Line employees.
"The Taylors are telling everyone that he is my partner," Proffitt said. "He is not my partner."
He added, "All I tried to do was employ some people. I tried to make a good situation out of a bad situation, but Timberline Construction is solo-owned by me. I do not have a partner."
Under the settlement in the fraud case, Rippe is prohibited from owning or managing a business in the state of Kansas.
Proffitt said Rippe's employment allows him to pay restitution.
"Rodney Rippe is a hell of a carpenter. He does fantastic work. Horrible at business, and that's a fact,” Proffitt said. “He definitely hurt some people. I don't think it was malicious, but he still did it."
Proffitt said he felt bad for the people who were victims of the fraud case.
"I'm a victim, and they're treating me like the bad guy," Proffitt said.
The defamation lawsuit alleges the Taylors and Samson were angered by Timberline's purchase of Straight Line equipment and hiring of Rippe.
The defamation lawsuit alleges the Taylors and Samson made false and defamatory statements multiple times against Timberline, Auman and Proffitt, causing damage to their reputations.
The lawsuit alleges the plaintiffs referred to Timberline and Auman Company as "crooks" and that the defendants alleged Timberline and Proffitt defrauded individuals.
Samson allegedly made false and defamatory comments in social media videos about Timberline and Proffitt on his channel, which had more than 974,000 followers, according to the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, Samson created the social media posts with the intent to prevent other people from doing business with the plaintiff.
Samson urged people on social media to “use extreme caution hiring ‘Timberline construction’ though, as I stated it is all alleged, I wouldn’t trust these two fellers as far as I could throw Rosie O’Donnell,’’ according to a social media post Proffitt shared with the Hays Post.
Samson, under the name Farmer Fran, said in one social media video, which was viewed by the Hays Post, that he was going to be "arrested," "framed," and "killed," as a result of his posts.
Proffitt said his attorney sent Samson cease-and-desist letters, but Samson allegedly continued to post on social media.
The lawsuit also alleges that the Taylors made defamatory statements to potential and current customers with the intent to disrupt business for Timberline and Auman.
The lawsuit did not stipulate a dollar amount for damages.
Proffitt said he worked on the Taylors' property and wants to be paid.
"I think Farmer Fran owes me an apology on his website,” Proffitt said.
Proffitt said he would like the following apology: “I had the wrong information. Jacob had nothing to do with Straightline. He got tied in because he bought the assets for a new company.”
Ashley Taylor said she and her husband did not wish to comment on the lawsuit at this time.
Attempts to contact Samson went unanswered as of this post.
There are no pending court dates for the defamation case as of this post.