Antioch company accused of repair fraud
The Illinois attorney general's office on Thursday sued an Antioch home repair company, accusing the firm of failing to complete projects and not paying its supplier.
The civil complaint against Perfect Restorations and its owners was filed in Lake County circuit court. No criminal charges have been filed.
Co-owners James Novack, James Hauser and Bruce Faber are named in the lawsuit, according to a news release from the agency.
When contacted by the Daily Herald, Novack said the company has had financial issues. He also said the two other owners walked out on the company they've operated for more than three years.
Contract jobs will be completed when Novack can afford to do the work, he said.
“We're not bad people,” Novack said.
The Perfect Restorations website targets homeowners who've experienced storm damage.
According to the attorney general's office, Perfect Restorations demanded upfront installment payments ranging from $4,000 to $41,000. When the contractors did incomplete or shoddy work, the news release said, refunds were denied.
The lawsuit asks the court to ban the defendants from working in the home repair business in Illinois. It also seeks to cancel pending contracts and to obtain restitution for affected consumers.
Some homeowners had liens placed on their homes for supplies the company failed to pay for, the agency said.
Other penalties are possible, too.
Novack said he's trying to pay off the bills and make things right with customers.
“I'm trying to pay off as much as I can when I can,” he said. “And I am still completing work.”