MATTER OF RECORD: CROSSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT

On 11-14-24 city units were dispatched to AJ’s Diner for a possible scam report. Upon arrival I spoke with  the manager. She stated she was approached by a male later identified as Stephen Batchelber . She stated he spoke to her about some potholes and other issues in the parking lot. She let me read messages of part of the conversation that they had. He told her that he had just got done with a job paving another business and had some asphalt mix left over. He stated to her that he normally charges $14.00 per square foot but he would give her a deal of $6.00 a square foot. In the messages he told her he was picking up the asphalt and would be at the restaurant at approximately 1500 hrs. The manager said she waited well over 1500 hrs and asked for an estimate multiple times with no answer. She stated she did not believe he was coming and went home.

Batchelber later contacted her and stated he was about done with project and he had done 950 sqft and it would cost $5,700.00. She stated that she had not wanted him to start until he had given her an estimate. He responded that he could not give an estimate because he did not know how much of the mix he was going to use. She then advised that she was speaking with a lawyer and he could continue this discussion through him. Batchelber asked her to just keep it between them and he would work with her with the price.
I contacted Mr.Batchelber and got his information and asked him what all had happened. He stated he had told her that he could not do an estimate until he was done with the project to judge how much of the mix he had used. When asked he would not tell me what job he had done that he had the leftover asphalt from only that it was a lumber yard in Kingston, Tn. He also would not tell me what company he worked for. He stated that he had told her it was 900 sqft for $6 a sqft. He said he normally charges $8 to $10 a sqft, totaling $5400.00.