(MCCONNELSVILLE, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is seeking refunds of $147,000 from a home improvement contractor following complaints from more than a dozen consumers in southeast Ohio.
The consumer protection lawsuit accuses Patrick Wilson, 28, of performing shoddy work and failing to complete home improvement projects. Wilson does business under the names Twin Building Supply and Wilson Contracting P&E.
“Homeowners have suffered serious financial harm at the hands of this guy,” Yost said. “We’re taking him to court to get their money back and to put an end to his rip-offs.”
The lawsuit stems from 15 consumer complaints submitted to Yost’s Consumer Protection Section since late 2018. Those consumers say Wilson owes them refunds totaling $147,000. But this isn’t Wilson’s first run-in with the attorney general’s office.
The state sued him previously in March 2018 after 10 additional consumers complained of financial losses totaling $108,000. At the time, his last name was Eltringham and his business was called Logan-Madison Construction. That case is still pending.
The new lawsuit filed in the Morgan County Court of Common Pleas accuses Wilson of violating Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act, Home Solicitation Sales Act and Home Construction Service Suppliers Act.
The filing requests an order requiring Wilson to reimburse affected customers and pay civil penalties, as well as court costs. It also requests an injunction ordering him to stop violating the state’s consumer protection laws.
Attorney General Yost reminds consumers to take the following steps before signing a contract for home improvement services:
- Check for any complaints against the contractor with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and Better Business Bureau.
- 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 verbal promises, the 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 that you write a check directly to the contractor instead of his or her company.
- Check with the Ohio Secretary of State to confirm that the business is registered properly.
Consumers who suspect an unfair or deceptive business practice should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at 800-282-0515 or www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov
