Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed a lawsuit yesterday going after predatory Home Repair scams hit multiple counties.
Raoul filed the lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Cook County against G&M Exterior Pros, Inc. and Illinois Adjustors Corporation as well as their respective owners. The lawsuit alleges the businesses preyed on more than 40 homeowners in several counties across the state.
According to Raoul’s lawsuit, Illinois Adjustors allegedly promised to waive its public adjusting fees for homeowners who agreed to hire G&M to perform roofing repairs after homes were hit with storm damages. Illinois Adjustors would then allegedly act as a middleman between the homeowner and insurance company, receiving claim checks in the company’s name. However, Raoul alleges that once the checks were issued, G&M often failed to begin or complete promised repair work or would perform substandard work. When homeowners attempted to cancel their contracts, G&M often ignored complaints, leaving people with limited options and the fear that Illinois Adjustors would demand payment for the public adjusting fee that was previously waived when the homeowner selected G&M. That fee often equated to over a third of the total insurance proceeds.
Raoul’s lawsuit also alleges that the company failed to provide homeowners information in regards to their cancellation rights.
In the lawsuit, Raoul is seeking restitution for victims, a court-ordered prohibition against both companies and owners from further engaging in similar business practices, and civil penalties for violations of the Consumer Fraud Act.
Consumers who believe they have been the victim of fraud can file a complaint on the Attorney General’s website or by calling the office’s Consumer Fraud Hotline at 1-(800) 243-0618.