(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is suing a Toledo home-improvement contractor accused of stealing approximately $54,000 from homeowners.
The lawsuit, filed in Lucas County Common Pleas Court, alleges that Michael Windle, owner and operator of Rite-On Roofing and Siding, accepted deposits from consumers but failed to deliver any goods or services.
“This guy should change the name of his company to Rip-Off Roofing," Yost said. "Hard-working Ohioans paid for a service, and no work was done. That is not how we do business in Ohio.”
The company’s tactics, which violate the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act, prompted more than a dozen complaints to the Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau. The BBB has revoked Rite-On’s accreditation.
Yost’s lawsuit requests that the defendant be ordered to reimburse consumers and pay civil penalties and court costs.
In a separate development supporting the lawsuit, multiple consumers have filed police reports against Windle, leading to several indictments in Lucas County.
To avoid becoming a victim of fraud, 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 BBB 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; the project start and end dates; 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.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Hannah Hundley: 614-906-9113
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