(PORTAGE, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is suing a Wood County contractor who allegedly performed substandard home-improvement work or failed to complete the upgrades after accepting large down payments from customers.
Yost’s lawsuit names Brian Priest, who since 2023 has been operating the unregistered business Priest Roofing, Siding and Remodeling.
“When you put a shingle out and open a business, customers expect honesty,” Yost said. “We are committed to holding this contractor accountable for betraying homeowners’ trust.”
According to consumer complaints filed with Yost’s Consumer Protection Section, Priest solicited business at customers’ homes and collected down payments, but performed shoddy work or did not complete the work. Many of the checks that customers wrote were made out to Priest personally, not the business.
Three homeowners who filed complaints with Yost’s office reported combined losses exceeding $45,000. Two of them were forced to hire new contractors to finish or repair the work Priest had started.
In addition, Priest is accused of failing to include the legally required three-day right-to-cancel language for home-solicitation sales in Ohio.
Yost’s lawsuit, filed in Wood County Common Pleas Court, alleges multiple violations of Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act, including:
- Performing incomplete or substandard work.
- Failing to correct defective work.
- Omitting required contract disclosures.
- Engaging in unfair and deceptive business practices.
The Attorney General is seeking restitution for affected consumers, civil penalties and a court order barring Priest from engaging in consumer transactions in Ohio until all monetary obligations are satisfied.
Consumers who believe they have been taken advantage of by a home-improvement contractor should file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or by calling 800-282-0515.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Hannah Hundley: 614-906-9113
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