Predatory Home Improvement Contractors In Ohio: Legal Options When Work Is Never Finished
When a homeowner hires a contractor to fix or improve their home, it is often a very large investment. Whether it is a new roof, a new kitchen, or structural changes to the home, homeowners expect that a contractor will complete the work they were hired to perform. However, some Ohio homeowners have fallen victim to predatory home improvement contractors whom they hired to perform work. The work is never completed, and the contractor tries to ghost the homeowner who ordered the work. In other cases, the work is so shoddy that it needs to be redone.
There are legal remedies available to homeowners who have lost money to a deficient contractor. In this article, we’ll discuss some of your best moves after being ghosted by a contractor.
Common home improvement contractor scams
Although the majority of service providers act honestly, predatory contractors tend to follow a different pattern. They generally ask for a large amount of money up front and promise to start working immediately. They then delay the project, disappear with the down payment, or do a substandard job on your home.
Some of the common characteristics of predatory contractors include:
- Asking for large sums of money in advance
- Failure to sign a contract
- Repeatedly asking for more money to cover unexpected expenses
- Frequently failing to meet deadlines
- Leaving the project unfinished
In other cases, the contractor may finish the project; however, they may do so in a poor manner using low-quality materials.
The importance of written contracts
One of the most powerful ways to protect yourself in a home improvement project is to have a written contract. A written contract should include the scope of the project, the payment schedule, the project schedule, and the materials to be used.
If a contractor breaches a written contract by failing to complete the project or by doing a poor job, you may have a breach of contract claim.
A claim for breach of contract can allow you to recover the money you already paid to the contractor, plus the cost to repair or complete the project.
Consumer protection laws in Ohio
Ohio homeowners may also have recourse through the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act (CSPA). This act forbids businesses, including contractors, from engaging in deceptive or unfair business practices.
Examples of deceptive business practices that might violate the CSPA include:
- Misrepresenting the quality of materials or workmanship
- Misrepresenting that a project will be done by a certain date
- Billing homeowners for work that was never done
- Failure to disclose terms of an agreement
Should a contractor engage in a deceptive business practice, homeowners have a right to recover actual damages, as well as a possible recovery of additional damages or attorney fees.
Talk to a Dayton, OH, Consumer Protection Lawyer Today
Kohl & Cook Law Firm, LLC, represents the interests of Dayton residents who have been defrauded by a contractor. Call our Dayton consumer law attorneys today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin discussing your next steps right away.
