CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's office has filed a lawsuit seeking to shut down a Northern Panhandle home improvement contractor who operated a plumbing business without a license.
Morrisey's office alleged defendants Waterman Plumbing LLC and owner Charles P. Waterman violated the state’s consumer protection laws by accepting thousands of dollars for deficient and unfinished work, all without being properly registered and licensed.
“Contractors must abide by the law and complete work in a fair and trustworthy manner,” Morrisey said in a statement. “Consumers should get the service they pay for. We are adamant about protecting Mountain State consumers and ensuring that all businesses comply with the law.”
Morrisey
The lawsuit, filed July 17 in Ohio Circuit Court, alleges three Wheeling residents were victims of Waterman and his business. One of the victims paid $7,645 for a series of projects the AG's office described as substandard and incomplete.
The other two made down payments of at least $1,000 each – one for front porch step repairs and the other for excavation and plumbing work. In both instances, Waterman never returned to do the work and refused to refund their down payments.
The lawsuit ties Waterman and his business to Wheeling and a nearby address in Ohio. It alleges both engaged in general contracting and plumbing work without a West Virginia business registration and operated without the required contractor or specialty plumbing license.
The lawsuit also claims the defendants did work for consumers without providing a written contract and failed to notify consumers of their three-day right to cancel service.
The complaint seeks a court order to permanently block Waterman and his company engaging in any capacity of plumbing or contracting work. It also seeks up to $5,000 in civil penalties for each violation of the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act.
Handling the case for the AG's office are Deputy AG Ann Haight, Senior Assistant AG Norman Googel and Assistant AG Abby G. Cunningham. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Ronald Wilson.
Ohio Circuit Court case number 20-C-153