Illinois attorney general sues Downers Grove home improvement business

Attorney General Lisa Madigan is suing a Downers Grove-based home improvement business for misleading hundreds of residents into paying for home repair work they did not realize they had agreed to and may not have wanted.

Residents of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and five other counties were affected by American Dream Home Improvement Inc.'s scheme, according to a news release issued by Madigan's office Thursday.

Company sales representatives went door-to-door, usually after severe weather, offering free property inspections, home repair services and public adjusting services. Residents were pushed to sign forms believing they were only agreeing to home inspections, the release said, and shortly after, workers appeared at their homes to conduct repairs homeowners had never agreed to. Residents who proceeded with the home repairs later contacted Madigan's office to report shoddy or incomplete work. In some cases, residents reported the company attempted to charge homeowners for more than their insurance company would pay on the claim, according to the release.

Homeowners who believe they may have been defrauded by American Dream Home or other contractors are encouraged to contact Madigan's Consumer Fraud Hotline at (800) 386-5438.