Pa. attorney general files lawsuit against Scottdale contractor

The state Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection is asking a judge to bar a Scottdale contractor from doing home improvement work because of repeated consumer complaints dating back to 2009.

The 25-page complaint was filed in Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court against Jeffrey D. Bollinger, 43, and businesses he allegedly controls to promote his home improvement services, including PA Remodelers LLP and Bathmakeover Pro LLC.

“In connection with multiple consumer contracts, (Bollinger) … accepted payments from those consumers and then failed to complete the services in accordance with the terms of the consumers’ contracts,” Deputy Attorney General Jesse F. Harvey said in the lawsuit. “Multiple consumers were left with partially completed home improvement work that was of poor quality and required repair.”

Repeated attempts to contact Bollinger at a Scottdale number and numbers listed in court documents were unsuccessful.

Harvey alleges Bollinger and Bathmakeover Pro LLC made direct representations to multiple customers that Bollinger was not associated with that firm “when in fact … he performs all day-to-day functions related to the management and operations,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit further alleges Bollinger failed to respond to consumer complaints on numerous projects, provide refunds, repair unsatisfactory and/or deficient work, or use contracts which complied with state law requirements in violation of both the state’s Consumer Protection Law and the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act.

Since 2009, Bollinger’s customers have won $309,384 in civil judgments at the district justice level related to home improvement projects in Allegheny, Schuylkill, Washington and Westmoreland counties, according to the state.

Among recent complaints cited in the lawsuit, Harvey alleges in July 2017 that Bollinger and his PA Remodelers entered into a contract with an Allegheny consumer to build a covered deck and install a roof over the customer’s front door at a set price of $32,500 and the consumer paid $20,666 toward the project.

“(Bollinger) represented the project would take two weeks. Work on the front door roof took three months and was of poor quality … the only work performed with regard to the deck was the digging of four holes in the consumer’s back yard in October 2017,” the lawsuit said.

When the consumer reached Bollinger’s office manager, the homeowner was informed “that (Bollinger) had become unreachable and the deposit monies paid had been used to finish another job and there was no more money to finish the consumer’s job,” the lawsuit states.

In April 2017, the state attorney general alleges Bollinger and PA Remodelers entered into a $70,000 contract with a Westmoreland consumer to build a two-story garage. The customer made $29,000 in payments after excavation began.

The lawsuit contends in mid-July that some excavation work was done and a footer was poured.

“Thereafter (Bollinger) failed to return to perform any additional work. Defendants subsequently agreed to make periodic payments towards a refund but after making the initial payment, defendants have failed to make any additional payments,” the complaint states.

In addition to asking the court to permanently enjoin Bollinger from any home improvement practices, the attorney general is also asking a judge to order him to make restitution to all consumers and pay civil penalties of $1,000 for each violation of state laws and $3,000 for each violation involving a consumer age 60 or older.