Design Highlights
- Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is suing Brian Priest for operating an unregistered home-improvement business and scamming homeowners.
- Homeowners reported losing over $45,000 due to incomplete and substandard work by Priest Roofing, Siding and Remodeling.
- Priest allegedly collected substantial down payments while failing to deliver promised services, violating consumer protection laws.
- CMN Group, another targeted contractor, reportedly took $188,000 from homeowners without providing any services.
- The Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act mandates consumer rights, including a three-day right-to-cancel clause in home contracts.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is swinging the legal hammer again, this time targeting home-improvement contractors who think they can pull a fast one on unsuspecting homeowners. This time, the spotlight is on a guy named Brian Priest, who has been operating his unregistered business, Priest Roofing, Siding and Remodeling, since 2023. Yost’s office isn’t playing nice. Three homeowners have already filed complaints against Priest, claiming they’ve lost over $45,000 combined. Talk about a bad investment!
Priest’s approach? He solicited customers right at their homes and happily collected hefty down payments. But instead of delivering quality work, he left a trail of incomplete and substandard jobs. Complaints reveal that his work was not only shoddy but also riddled with issues. Homeowners were left scrambling, forced to hire other contractors to fix what Priest messed up.
Priest solicited homeowners, pocketed hefty down payments, and left a mess of incomplete, shoddy work behind.
And to add insult to injury, checks were made out to Priest personally—definitely not how legitimate businesses operate. The lawsuit seeks restitution for consumers, aiming to address these serious complaints and hold Priest accountable for his deceptive practices. Consumers reported that he failed to comply with Ohio’s right to cancel home-solicitation sales laws.
Yost’s lawsuits also target the Virginia-based CMN Group, known for its storm-chasing antics in northeastern Ohio. These guys, Renato Perez and Andre Kinduelo, allegedly raked in a whopping $188,000 from desperate homeowners, only to vanish once the checks cleared. They promised to work with insurance companies but delivered nothing. Zero. Zilch. Homeowners were left high and dry, with 24 unresolved complaints piling up against them. Homeowners should be aware that standard homeowners insurance does not cover contractor fraud, making it critical to vet any contractor before handing over a down payment.
This isn’t just a random legal spat. Yost’s enforcement actions hinge on Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act, which is pretty clear about what contractors can and can’t do. For example, the law mandates that they include a three-day right-to-cancel clause in contracts signed at customers’ homes.
But guess what? Priest and his shady pals conveniently forgot to mention that little detail. Who needs consumer protection laws, right?
The Attorney General’s office is after restitution, civil penalties, and even bans on these contractors to keep them from scamming more unsuspecting victims. It’s like a game of legal whack-a-mole, and Yost is determined to keep the hammer swinging.
Consumers, take note. The pattern here screams caution. It’s like the wild west out there, and it’s clear that not everyone is playing by the rules. So, as Yost fights the good fight, let’s hope more homeowners learn to protect themselves from these shady contractors.
