Rolling Meadows company named in home repair fraud lawsuit

The owner of a Rolling Meadows company was among those accused by Cook County prosecutors of bilking homeowners out of thousands of dollars for home repairs that were never performed or were completed improperly, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez said.

Juan Hurtado, owner of Rinnovo Exteriors Inc., located in the 1600 block of Hicks Road, and employee Michael Sanchez were charged with accepting more than $7,400 from Round Lake Beach homeowners for roofing, siding and garage repairs that company employees never started, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors say Sanchez met the homeowners at their house in July 2014 after a hailstorm and offered to repair damage to their roof, siding and gutters. The couple signed over a $7,433.41 insurance claim check as a down payment, but the work was never begun. Prosecutors say Hurtado and Sanchez never informed the homeowners they could cancel the contract. Additionally, they offered to perform services they were not licensed to perform, prosecutors said.

A second complaint names Jeffrey Wixon and his company, Fino Creative Enterprises Inc., located in the 2900 block of North Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. Prosecutors claim Wixon and his employees accepted money to refinish or replace windows without performing the work. In one instance, prosecutors say, Wixon failed to return a homeowner's $3,500 payment for windows that were neither delivered nor installed. The third lawsuit targets Dan Simmons and his now defunct company, Beverly Fence Co., formerly located in the 2600 block of West 111th Street in Chicago. Prosecutors say Simmons claimed his company was licensed to install residential fences when it was not. Additionally, he claimed Beverly Fence Co. was founded in 1929 when it was not. According to the complaint, Simmons took deposits from two homeowners without beginning work on either project then ignored their request for refunds. Prosecutors say his improper installation of a fence during another job caused a power outage.

A phone number for Rinnovo had been disconnected. Phone messages left for Fino and Beverly Fence were not immediately returned.

The lawsuits seek restitution for homeowners and a court order prohibiting defendants from engaging in similar businesses in the future.

In a prepared statement, Alvarez expressed sympathy for frustrated homeowners cheated by "an unscrupulous contractor or a deceptive contract" and encouraged homeowners who believe they've been defrauded to contact the consumer fraud hotline at (312) 603-8700.