Illinois Sues Home Repair Company Accused of Pressuring Homeowners into Costly Repairs
Illinois is suing a home repair company accused of turning routine service calls into expensive jobs by telling homeowners they faced emergencies or even life-threatening hazards.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed the lawsuit against Arlington Heights-based ABC Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric on Sept. 3. The state’s 55-page complaint alleges the company violated Illinois consumer protection and home repair laws through practices that frequently targeted senior citizens.
According to the complaint, customers were sometimes drawn in by low-cost promotions, including a $25 furnace tune-up. Once technicians entered a home, the state alleges, they sometimes inspected areas beyond the original problem without permission and recommended additional work.
The lawsuit also accuses technicians of showing customers photos or videos depicting various problems; the lawsuit says the technician would tell the customer they took those photos or videos while inspecting the customer’s home when they actually had not.
Homeowners Describe Costly Repair Calls
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In one case detailed in the complaint, Chicago homeowner David Melendez requested routine maintenance on two furnaces. Within about five minutes, the lawsuit says, a technician told him his heat exchangers were cracked. The technician also warned of carbon monoxide leaks and ultimately quoted $13,000 for furnace work and further HVAC inspection.
Melendez sought a second opinion. According to the complaint, another contractor determined the heat exchangers were not cracked and charged him $1,500 in labor costs.
Another homeowner, Arielle Henry, allegedly paid $2,615 to replace a leaking toilet without being told the price before installation. The complaint says the toilet was still leaking the next day.
The Attorney General’s Office also alleges ABC sometimes performed incomplete work, damaged customers’ property, and used unlicensed technicians. Some customers allegedly had to hire other companies to complete or repair the work.
State Challenges Contracts and Cancellation Waivers
The lawsuit also focuses on how homeowners allegedly signed contracts. The state says technicians sometimes scrolled through documents on tablets and directed customers to signature pages without allowing them to review the terms.
Under Illinois law, homeowners generally have three business days to cancel certain home repair contracts solicited and signed at their homes. The complaint alleges ABC improperly obtained waivers of that right by classifying work as an immediate emergency without following requirements for a valid waiver.
Illinois is seeking an injunction, monetary relief, civil penalties and the rescission of contracts obtained through the practices alleged in the lawsuit.
On Sept. 3, the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that ABC told them it would “respond at the appropriate time” and that it had not yet received the complaint or reviewed the accusations.
In a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times, the company pointed to more than 70 years serving Chicago-area homeowners, after having “earned their trust by operating with integrity.”
