TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Amid more than 30 consumer complaints, a spokesperson for the Florida Attorney General’s Office said they have an active consumer protection investigation into Sash & Sill, which abruptly closed earlier this month.

A growing number of consumers said they paid hefty deposits and did not receive the products or installation.

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Other consumers said they’re receiving notices of liens on their homes from suppliers who say the company didn’t pay them.

“This is a lot of money,” said customer Brenda Grunwald of Charlotte County. “My stomach has been in knots over this, like knots over this.”

Last month, company owner Todd Hoch sent customers an email.

It is with a heavy heart that I announce that Sash & Sill has closed its doors permanently. This difficult decision comes because of unforeseen circumstances that has significantly impacted our financial stability, forcing us to file for bankruptcy. I have exhausted my personal and business resources in efforts to overcome the situation. We are currently working on getting as many of your projects completed as possible. We will reach out with any updates that are specific to your project. The office has been closed to reduce overhead and all non-production staff are no longer with us. I want to express my deepest apologies. I am truly heartbroken over the situation. Sincerely, Todd Hoch

Homeowner Walt Bower said he paid $1,700 toward a new door and was about to sign a contract for new windows when he heard trouble was brewing. He said he joined a Facebook page for impacted customers.

“I know of at least 50 other folks in this same situation and I’ve heard numbers, anywhere from my number, which is $1,700, to all the way up to $75,000,” Bower said.

Cynthia Ellison said she put down nearly $5,000 and was excited to upgrade her windows. Without a refund, that project may be out of reach.

Many customers said they have been unable to reach Hoch, but Solo shared an email with Better Call Behnken that she received from Hoch after repeated requests from answers:

“There is no fraud but I understand your anger.  I have lost most employees and still sorting through this. I want you to know that I do not take this lightly. I invested the last $250k of my personal funds in the company to make it work.”

With impacted customers from Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties, calling Better Call Behnken for help, Consumer Investigator Shannon Behnken left a voicemail message for company owner Todd Hoch and sent him an email.

A spokesman with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said he is aware of one report about this company that investigators are looking into. He would not elaborate on that report but said he encourages customers who lost money to file reports with their local law enforcement agencies.

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