Ohio contractor sued for scamming local storm damage victims

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is suing a Columbus storm-chasing contractor accused of scamming local homeowners who are recovering from storm damages.

The lawsuit alleges Liberty Restoration and its owner, Josh Basinger of Hilliard, violated portions of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act and Home Solicitation Sales Act.

This is not the first time Basinger and Liberty Restoration have faced legal trouble, with the Better Business Bureau listing 80 complaints against the business in under eight years.

One previous lawsuit, which was settled out of court, alleged Liberty Restoration took $19,473.71 from a Powell resident. Liberty Restoration was supposed to send along materials within 10 days, but instead never sent them while keeping the money.

According to court documents, Liberty Restoration would travel around Ohio and nearby states to areas hit by storms and knock on their doors to try and sell home repairs. Customers would sign contracts and Basinger would be their point of contact, court documents said, which usually involved a down payment.

The lawsuit alleges Basinger and his company would then either provide substandard improvements or fail to make repairs entirely. Court documents show sometimes customers would be offered a refund, but the contractor would not pay. The lawsuit also alleges the company dodged customer’s attempts to contact them with complaints or concerns.

“Mother Nature struck their homes, then a shady contractor dealt a second blow to their wallets,” Yost said. “We’re stepping in to get these homeowners their money back.”

Yost said his office and the Better Business Bureau have fielded 20 unresolved complaints against the company, with combined damages of $158,000.

Yost said he is seeking monetary damages for affected consumers, a civil penalty of up to $25,000 for each legal violation and legal action preventing Basinger to do business until these are paid. Yost is also seeking legal protections against Basinger and the company to prevent future wrongdoing.

Yelp reviews for Liberty Restoration average two stars, and include accounts that mirror the allegations laid out in Yost’s lawsuit. The Better Business Bureau shows similar reviews, and rates the business an “F” after 80 complaints were filed with the BBB. Some of these complaints have already been settled and are not a part of this lawsuit.

Yost said he encourages consumers to research businesses before entering contracts, getting different written estimates and avoid paying large payments in advance.

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