Jefferson City, Mo. – Attorney General Chris Koster took action against six home-remodeling companies for defrauding consumers who hired them for repair or remodeling projects. The companies are located in Jackson, Clay, St. Charles and St. Louis counties and St. Louis City.
Complaints about home repair and remodeling are consistently among the top ten complaints received by the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. Many of these complaints involve consumers paying up front for repairs but no work is provided. The actions announced today affect at least 30 Missouri homeowners who lost nearly $106,000 to unscrupulous contractors.
Koster today filed suit against:
- Guaranteed Development Renovation and Robert McLaughlin in St. Louis County, alleging that the company took at least $6,000 from one consumer to provide roof repair and interior remodel work, but failed to perform any work.
- The Handsome Handyman, LLC and Aaron Dale Clary in Clay County, alleging that Clary received at least $7,930 up front for a consumer’s basement remodel that was started but never completed.
- Top Choice Remodeling and Waterproofing, Inc. and Darrell A. Helms in St. Louis City, alleging the company was paid at least $6,600 by 9 consumers, promising to do home repair work but providing sub-standard or no work. Helms also violated a 2011 judgment that prohibits him from operating a home repair business.
- Weather Guard Exteriors, LLC and Justin Ryan Ward, in Jackson County, alleging the company took at least $59,000 from thirteen consumers and failed to complete the work as promised.
- Art-Tec Construction and Sunrooms, LLC and Travis Bollier, in St. Charles County, alleging six consumers paid $19,464 upfront to install sunrooms and repair roofs but the company either did no work or did substandard work.
- Mid-Missouri Roofing and General Contracting LLC and Glenn Kage, Jr., in St. Charles County, alleging they were paid at least $6,800 from two consumers to repair roofs, but did not perform any of the work.
“When consumers are cheated by unscrupulous contractors, my office will step in to help,” Koster said. “Consumers deserve to get the services they pay for and rightfully expect.”
Koster offered the following tips to consumers to prevent becoming a victim of a contractor scam: check the references of contractors before signing a contract or providing any partial payment, check with his office and the Better Business Bureau for complaints on contractors, never pay in full before the work is completed, and document the scope of work to be provided and the complete cost and time necessary to complete the job. Koster noted consumers should particularly be wary of “storm chasers” who appear uninvited at their homes or who email or contact them unexpectedly by phone after storm damage in the area.
Consumers who have complaints against these, or any other, home-repair businesses should file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office at 800-392-8222, or online at https://ago.mo.gov/app/consumercomplaint.
