(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Attorney General Dave Yost is suing a central Ohio home-remodeling company and its owner, who are accused of walking off with more than $125,000 in consumers’ money while failing to complete or, in some cases, even start the construction work.
“A consumer’s largest and most important asset is typically their home – which is why consumers need to be cautious when dealing with contractors like this who demand a lot of money upfront and then do a substandard job,” Yost said. “Ohioans deserve to get what they’ve paid for, and my office can certainly help if a contractor hangs up his tools before the work is done.”
The lawsuit, filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, alleges that 614 Custom Homes and owner Mark Koval failed to deliver services after taking consumers’ deposits or, in other instances, performed shoddy and incomplete work before abandoning the projects.
Koval’s business practices violate Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act, Home Solicitation Sales Act and Home Construction Service Suppliers Act.
Among other things, 614 Custom Homes’ contracts failed to outline consumers’ three-day right to cancel the contract and, when the contracts were for $25,000 or more, required excessive down payments – above 10 percent of the total contract price.
Ten consumers filed complaints with the Attorney General’s Office about the company, reporting $126,735 in losses based on contracts signed between March 2021 through April 2022.
Yost’s lawsuit asks that Koval be ordered to reimburse consumers and pay civil penalties and court costs.
The Consumer Protection Section of Yost’s office recommends that consumers take these steps before signing a contract for home-improvement services:
- Check with the Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau for any complaints against the contractor.
- Make sure your contract includes notice of your right to cancel a door-to-door sale. Contractors generally cannot start working until the three-day “cooling off” period ends.
- Get written estimates from several contractors before making a final decision.
- Check to make sure that the written contract includes any oral promises made by the contractor; start and end dates for the project; and an itemized list of all significant costs, labor and services.
- Be wary if the contract requires a large down payment or requires you to write a check directly to the contractor instead of his or her company.
- Check with the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office to confirm that the business is registered properly.
Ohioans who suspect unfair or deceptive business practices should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.