ILLINOIS (WAND) – Two central Illinois home repair companies are facing state lawsuit over accusations of defrauding customers.
The businesses would take payment upfront – often thousands of dollars – for work that they wouldn’t complete and sometimes never even start, according to a press release from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. The companies are accused of cashing the deposit checks, then stopping communication and failing to refund incomplete work.
Dream Turf Lawn Care in Springfield (owned by Ben Romanotto) and Clean Cut Painting & Handyman Services, ColbyCo LLC (owned by Colby Geiser) in Decatur are the central Illinois companies facing suits. A third lawsuit names owner Cole Waugh and Younger Construction in Benld.
“Homeowners hired these companies and paid thousands of dollars for needed improvements and services but received no services or incomplete work that will cost homeowners more money to have repaired,” Madigan said. “These lawsuits seek to provide restitution to impacted homeowners and put an end to these fraudulent practices.”
Madigan says she wants to ban the companies named in the lawsuits from working or advertising in Illinois, cancel pending contracts with homeowners and pay affected customers restitution.
Complaints involving home repair services and potential defrauding can be reported to the Consumer Fraud Hotline at 1-800-243-0618 or through this website.
