CHARLESTON – West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has filed two lawsuits against Kanawha Valley home improvement contractors he claims have been accused of taking money without completing the consumers’ project.
The lawsuits were filed in Kanawha Circuit Court and target Anderson’s Handyman Service LLC and Walter D. Withrow.
Both filings seek a civil penalty, in addition to court orders forcing the contractors to turn over all money obtained as result of their alleged unlawful actions. The actions also seek to prohibit engagement in home improvement contracting in the future.
“Consumers must be able to trust their contractor to complete the job,” Morrisey said. “Our office stands committed to enforcing the law to protect all consumers.”
The lawsuits allege Anderson Handyman Services received more than $75,000 and Withrow more than $16,000, both for unsatisfactory work or projects that were never completed.
The Anderson lawsuit also named its managers as defendants, Gregory and Stephanie Anderson of Tornado.
It alleges the company failed to meet deadlines, left projects unfinished and misled buyers as to total costs, as well as conducted business without a valid license and failed to provide a written contract that conforms with state law.
The Withrow lawsuit claims he marketed himself as a contractor without a license in violation of multiple cease and desist orders issued by the state’s Division of Labor.
The lawsuit also alleges Withrow, of Charleston, failed to notify consumers of their three-day right to cancel and violated other regulations.