CUYAHOGA COUNTY — The Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is suing a storm-chaser contractor accused of ghosting homeowners after accepting over $188,000 in customer payments for new roofs and siding repairs.
The lawsuit filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court named a Virginia-based General Contractors National (CMN) group and its owners, Renato Perez and Andre Kinduelo, according to a spokesperson.
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The lawsuit accuses the defendants of violating the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act by accepting deposits for the contracted work and failing to deliver any services.
“These so-called ‘businesses’ aren’t here to help,” Yost said. “They’re here to make a quick buck – and certainly not an honest one.”
In 2024, the business peddled exterior home-repair services in storm-damaged areas of northeastern Ohio and promised to work with customer insurance companies to complete the repairs.
Yost said the Ohio Attorney General’s Office has 24 unresolved complaints against CMN with alleged losses totaling in $188,000.
The lawsuit seeks restitution for the affected customers who did not receive any contracted work, along with civil penalties and a court order barring the defendants from engaging in consumer transactions until all monetary obligations are satisfied.
Yost said there are ways to protect yourself by taking the following steps before hiring a contractor for home-repair work.
The tips include:
- Researching the business. Ask for identification from the company representative, noting the person’s name, address, and phone number.
- Get multiple written estimates to help weed out bad apples.
- Don’t make large payments in advance. Instead, pay in increments.
- Get all promises in writing, which include the costs, work to be done, the start and end dates, and any verbal promises made by the contractor.
- Understand your cancellation rights. If the contract is for a door-to-door sale, you have three days to cancel the contract. The seller is required to give you written notice of these rights,
- Consider paying with a credit card. Paying with a credit card gives you greater protection against unauthorized charges.
Ohio residents who believe they have been victimized by CMN or who otherwise suspect unfair and or deceptive business dealings are encouraged.
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