Ohio AG Puts Hammer To Home Improvement Company In Civil Suit Alleging Shoddy Work, Failing To Deliver

From the Office of the Ohio Attorney General:

• A Columbus home improvement company did shoddy work and failed to deliver promised services or honor warranties, according to a lawsuit filed [...] by Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray. The suit, filed in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, charges Premier Design (Premier) and its owner, Jeffrey Shalayda, with multiple violations of Ohio consumer law. "This company took thousands of dollars from consumers," Cordray said. "But after collecting the money, the company either did nothing at all, or, at best, did substandard work, leaving consumers with sinking decks, broken fences and unfinished basements."

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• Since April 2008, seven consumer complaints have been filed in the Attorney General's office against Premier. In the complaints, which are still unresolved, consumers they paid Premier $1,000 to $29,000 for work that was not done according to agreement.

For the entire Ohio AG press release, see Columbus Home Improvement Company Sued for Fraud (Consumers report losing tens of thousands of dollars).

For the lawsuit, see State of Ohio v. Premier Design Consultants, Inc., et al.

For more on homeowners left in the lurch due to actions by builders/contractors, go here, go here, go here, go here, and go here.

(1) According to the press release, the lawsuit charges Premier with several violations of Ohio's Consumer Sales Practices Act including failing to deliver, performing shoddy work, making false claims in advertisements and failing to honor warranties. It also charges the company with violating the state's Home Solicitation Sales Act [sections 1345.21 to 1345.28 of the Ohio Revised Code], which gives consumers three days to cancel contracts they sign in their home. In the suit, Cordray asks the court to hold Premier responsible for reimbursing consumers and to assess a $25,000 civil penalty for each violation of the law. StiffingContractorsTheta