BUFFALO — In a recent settlement agreement with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, owner Fred DeNormand and his company Classic Fence and Lumber will shut down his company and pay more than $50,000 in penalties, costs and restitution for allegedly defrauding consumers.
Schneiderman's office announced the settlement with DeNormand who was investigated by the New York attorney general for repeatedly accepting payments in advance from customers without delivering the promised products and services.
“Consumers who pay for a good or service should receive it,” Schneiderman said in a news release. “This settlement will ensure that New Yorkers get their hard-earned money back, while barring this scammer from the home improvement business. I urge New Yorkers who believe they may have been impacted to contact my office right away – and I encourage all New Yorkers to use my tips to protect themselves when hiring a home improvement contractor.”
According to the Attorney General's Office, the settlement requires DeNormand to cease operations and to pay more than $50,000 in restitution to his customers and $5,000 in penalties and costs. DeNormand is also prohibited from running any type of future home improvement business.
DeNormand came under investigation last year after the Attorney General's Office began to receive consumer complaints regarding Classic Fence. The investigation found DeNormand had taken between $425 to $8,359 from consumers without delivering any products or services.
Any consumer who has not already filed a complaint regarding Classic Fence, should contact (716) 853-8484 by Feb. 26.