Richard Blumenthal (D)
HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is suing Enfield-based New England Pellet, LLC for failure to deliver thousands of tons of wood pellets to customers.
Blumenthal filed the suit against the company and its co-owners -- Stephen Zaczynski and Jason Tynan -- for accepting pre-payments for thousands of orders for wood pellets, knowing it would be impossible
to fulfill them all.
"New England Pellet burned its consumers -- taking their money and promising pellets that it knew it could not provide," the Democratic attorney general said.
According to Blumenthal, the company took orders from Connecticut customers for the pellets that are used in wood pellet burning stoves. New England Pellet failed to secure an agreement with a supplier to
ensure it could receive enough pellets to cover the orders.
In May 2008, the company needed between 10,000 and 15,000 tons of wood pellets but a local wholesaler informed the company is could only supply half that amount. Regardless, the company continued to take pellet orders.
As a result, many customers who pre-paid were forced to purchase pellets from other suppliers at a higher price.
"My office will fight for a court order blocking New England Pellet from further consumer harm, as well as civil penalties and restitution for consumers. New England Pellet literally left consumers out in the cold -- accepting repeated pre-payment with absolutely no assurances it could provide anything in return," Blumenthal said.