The Illinois Attorney General is suing an Oak Park-based construction company, claiming that it bilked customers out of some $511,000.
While operating Fairway Construction and Maintenance starting in 2009, three Michigan residents allegedly took in hundreds of thousands of dollars from Cook and Will county residents, for work that was never performed.
“The losses suffered by dozens of consumers in these cases are staggering,” Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a statement Monday. “We will be aggressive in our enforcement efforts, but I also urge homeowners to use great caution when hiring a contractor.”
Janeen Heilman, Erick Zerse and Chris Bidigare began operating Fairway Construction two years ago at 1515 N. Harlem in Oak Park, along with Rock Construction in Westchester, according to the complaint, filed Monday in Cook County Circuit Court.
The three owners allegedly engaged in deceptive business practices, from 2009 to the present, including taking money and performing little or no work, not maintaining proper insurance, and not informing customers of their right to cancel contracts within three days, Madigan alleges.
Ten complaints about the two companies have been filed with Madigan’s office, and another 10 with the Better Business Bureau. In one instance, Fairway allegedly collected $174,575 in payments from a Lockport resident to put an addition on his home, but never finished the work or refunded the payments.
Madigan is seeking a court order preventing Fairway Construction from engaging in deceptive practices, and rescinding all contracts between the company and Illinois consumers, requiring full restitution. The state’s attorney’s office also wants the two companies to pay some $60,000 in penalties, and reimburse its court costs, according to the complaint.
The number to Fairway Construction’s Oak Park office was disconnected on Monday, and attempts to reach Heilman, Zerse and Bidigare at their Michigan homes were unsuccessful.