 Madigan's lawsuit alleges that since January, Michael Maddox of
Hannibal, Mo., has gone door-to-door offering driveway repair work
to consumers in Illinois for free or a small fee. But the lawsuit
alleges that Maddox billed consumers for thousands of dollars after
work was completed, in violation of the state's Consumer Fraud and
Deceptive Business Practices Act and the Home Repair and Remodeling
Act."Consumers should be skeptical of any contractor going
door-to-door to offer repair work on the spot," the attorney general
said. "Before contracting home repair work, consumers should
thoroughly check out contractors' references and request written
estimates."
The suit alleges Maddox refused to quote exact prices for
services or did more work than what was agreed to in order to charge
consumers thousands of dollars more. Homeowners who refused to pay
were repeatedly harassed and intimidated by Maddox to force payment,
according to Madigan's lawsuit. Consumers in Sangamon and Logan
counties reported to Madigan's office losses totaling $36,000 from
this scheme.
Madigan's lawsuit asks the court to prohibit the defendant from
working in the home repair trade in Illinois. The suit seeks to
cancel Maddox's pending contracts and obtain restitution for
affected consumers. The lawsuit also seeks to impose on the
defendant a civil penalty of $50,000, additional penalties of
$50,000 for each violation found to be committed with the intent to
defraud, as well as $10,000 per violation found to be committed
against a person 65 years or older.
The attorney general offered the following tips to avoid falling
prey to these types of home repair scams:
-
Be skeptical of
anyone who arrives at your door offering to repair your driveway
on the spot or asks for a response immediately. Decline and ask
them to leave. If they do not leave, contact your local police
department. A reputable contractor will give you an estimate in
writing along with references and will work with you to schedule
the job at a mutually agreed upon time.
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Before contracting
for home repair work, obtain at least two written estimates from
local companies who provide a physical address -- not a P.O. Box
-- and a phone number for their business. Request references and
contact them to ask about the quality of the company's work, and
call the attorney general's office to find out if anyone has
lodged a complaint against the company.
Madigan urged any consumer who thinks
they have been defrauded or is suspicious of someone soliciting this
type of service to contact local law enforcement authorities and her
office's Consumer Fraud Hotline:
-
Chicago,
1-800-386-5438
-
Springfield,
1-800-243-0618
-
Carbondale,
1-800-243-0607
Assistant Attorney General Philip Heimlich is handling the case
for Madigan's Consumer Fraud Bureau.
[Text from file received from the office
Illinois Attorney General Lisa
Madigan]
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