COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said Friday his office filed a lawsuit against the owner of a central Ohio landscaping business for allegedly engaging in multiple violations of state consumer laws.
Thomas Huber Jr., the owner of a landscaping business that operated under the names of Tree Doctor, Capital Tree Services and Huber's Tree Care, solicited, offered and sold landscaping services using door-to-door sales in central Ohio.
Huber allegedly represented he was a licensed pesticide applicator and could repair ash trees with a special formula pesticide.
According to the state Department of Agriculture, Huber is not licensed to apply pesticides in Ohio.
Huber also allegedly demanded upfront payments of more than $1,000 for services and then failed to provide the services.
"This individual represented that he was licensed to perform services that he wasn't licensed to provide," DeWine said in a statement.
"It's unfair to consumers when individuals or businesses pretend to hold special licenses when they don't, in fact, have those licenses."
Huber allegedly violated Ohio's Consumer Sales Practices Act by failing to deliver and engaging in unfair and deceptive business practices.
He also allegedly violated the Home Solicitation Sales Act by failing to provide consumers with notice of their right to cancel and failed to provide consumers with a written agreement outlining landscaping services.
DeWine's lawsuit seeks civil penalties, injunctive relief and consumer restitution.
Ohio AG files lawsuit against landscaping business
