Michigan's fight against fraudulent contractors took a solid step forward with Attorney General Dana Nessel securing a default judgment against Caltons Lawn Care & Landscaping LLC and its owners, Aron Dean Calton and Leslie Calton. The Kent City business, known for taking payments upfront and then vanishing into the ether without delivering the promised work, has been hit with a comprehensive ban on such future operations in Michigan. Advanced payments for incomplete or non-existent lawn and pool services led to multiple consumers' complaints, fueling the Attorney General's lawsuit and subsequent judgment.
According to a press release from the Michigan Department of Attorney General, the judgment dictates that the Caltons will be barred from conducting any business in the state where advanced payment is required before services are rendered. In an attempt to ensure consumers are not left out in the cold again, Caltons Lawn Care & Landscaping LLC has been ordered to dissolve, and any asset juggling to avoid paying back customers is prohibited under the judgment.
The court did not turn a blind eye to the victims' plight by mandating the Caltons cough up a substantial $100,000 civil fine. Acting as a warning to any contemplation of recurring deceit, the judgment additionally prohibits the Caltons from refusing to issue refunds to the aggrieved customers. Their history of brushing off or blocking consumers who dared request their money back after inadequate services has led to this firm's crackdown.
"Contractors cannot take money from consumers and then disappear without the work being finished," stated Attorney General Nessel. This proclamation embodies the very spirit of the judgment, which unfolds comprehensive measures to prevent the Caltons from resuming their dubious business practices. Reports of their misconduct continued to reach the Department of the Attorney General even after the lawsuit was filed, prompting this legal censure, per the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
