Ohio AG files lawsuits accusing home improvement businesses of ripping off homeowners

PRISON FOR HIS ROLE IN THE FRAUD SCHEME. WELL, IT’S A NATIONAL CONSUMER PROTECTION WEEK IN OHIO’S ATTORNEY GENERAL ANNOUNCED HALF A DOZEN LAWSUITS AGAINST HOME IMPROVEMENT BUSINESSES HE SAYS RIPPED OFF HOMEOWNERS. DAVE YOST SUED ROGER GRAY AND HIS AURORA BASED COMPANY ALL AROUND CONCRETE. HE SAYS CUSTOMERS PAID GRAY MORE THAN $20,000 FOR WORK HE NEVER DID. AND YOST SAYS GRAY ALSO TRIED TO GET OHIO CUSTOMERS, SAYING THAT HE WAS AFFILIATED WITH SIN CONCRETE OR CINCINNATI CONCRETE COMPANY. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS BEFORE YOU DO ANY WORK ON YOUR HOME, GET RECOMMENDATIONS, ASK FOR CERTIFICATION OPTIONS AND INSURANCE, AND ALSO CHECK OUT THE COMPANY’S REPUTATION ONLINE AND LOOK INTO PAYMENT OPTIONS.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has announced a half dozen lawsuits against home improvement businesses he said ripped off homeowners.All six lawsuits allege violations of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act and request that the defendants reimburse consumers and pay civil penalties and court costs.One of the lawsuits were filed in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court against Roger Gray and his Aurora, Indiana-based company “All Around Concrete.” Yost said customers allegedly paid Gray more than $20,000 for work that he never performed. He also said Gray tried to get Ohio customers by saying he was affiliated with CIN-Concrete or Cincinnati Concrete Company. The attorney general said before people get any work done on their house, they should follow these recommendations: Ask for licensing, certification and proof of insurance. Go online. Check out the company’s reputation with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau. Understand payment options. Don’t make a large down payment. Instead, pay in increments – for example, one-third at the beginning of the job, one-third after half of the work is completed to your satisfaction and one-third when the job is completed. Avoid paying in cash. It leaves you with a limited paper trail if something goes wrong. Ohioans who suspect that they have been the victim of unfair or deceptive business practices should contact the AG’s office at 800-282-0515 or click here.

COLUMBUS, Ohio —

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has announced a half dozen lawsuits against home improvement businesses he says ripped off homeowners.

All six lawsuits allege violations of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act and request that the defendants reimburse consumers and pay civil penalties and court costs.

One of the lawsuits was filed in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court against Roger Gray and his Aurora, Indiana-based company “All Around Concrete.”

Yost said customers allegedly paid Gray more than $20,000 for work that he never performed. He also said Gray tried to get Ohio customers by saying he was affiliated with CIN-Concrete or Cincinnati Concrete Company.

The attorney general said before people get any work done on their house, they should follow these recommendations:

Ask for licensing, certification and proof of insurance.
Go online. Check out the company’s reputation with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau.
Understand payment options. Don’t make a large down payment. Instead, pay in increments – for example, one-third at the beginning of the job, one-third after half of the work is completed to your satisfaction and one-third when the job is completed.
Avoid paying in cash. It leaves you with a limited paper trail if something goes wrong.

Ohioans who suspect that they have been the victim of unfair or deceptive business practices should contact the AG’s office at 800-282-0515 or click here.