Madigan
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed a lawsuit against a Mount Prospect contractor who allegedly solicited roofing contracts without a license and then either completed the roofing poorly or failed to complete it.
Gary Phillips, the owner and operator of Roof Medics and Best Roofing, is alleged in Madigan's suit to have entered into contracts to repair leaky roofs.
Phillips accepted down payments from consumers but then failed to either perform the work or completed the work below standards, she said, and the consumers' roofs were often left still leaking.
Phillips is also alleged to have failed to return phone calls to consumers who called to complain about their roofs. In some instances, Phillips attempted to again repair the original leaks but did so in a shoddy manner. Phillips then refused to return any payments to consumers, the complaint says.
"It's inexcusable for a contractor to accept down payments but then fail to perform the work or handle it in an unprofessional manner," Madigan said.
"I urge consumers to make sure they're informed and ask detailed questions before they hire a contractor in an effort to avoid this type of fraud."
Phillips' unprofessional work, failure to complete repair work and refusal to provide refunds are alleged in the lawsuit to be violations of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act and the Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act.
The complaint against Phillips also alleges that homeowners were not provided with written contracts and the "Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights" pamphlet, which is required under Illinois law.
Madigan's suit asks that Phillips be prohibited from further engaging in the home repair trade and seeks restitution for consumers, a civil penalty of $50,000, additional penalties of $50,000 for each violation found to have been committed with the intent to defraud, and $10,000 for each violation found to have been committed against a consumer who is 65 years or older.