AGs office sues lawn company

A landscaping contractor accused of failing to deliver lawn care services and accepting hundreds of dollars in advance payments has been served with a lawsuit from Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.

Dewines office alleges that Israel Alex Barrett, of Cape Coral, Florida, violated consumer law by taking cash payments for work that was never completed. In the lawsuit, the Attorney General seeks consumer restitution and civil penalties.

The AGs office says at least 12 consumers have complained about the business. According to the lawsuit, Barrett had a principal place of business in Goshen, Ohio. He used various business names, including Pleasant Plain Lawn & Landscape, Alexs Elite Lawn Care, and Elis Lawn Care, which are not registered with the Ohio Secretary of State.

According to a release from the AGs office, heres how the business worked:

Barrett allegedly contacted homeowners door-to-door and accepted about $300 each from consumer. His six-step lawn treatment program was supposed to last from early spring to early winter. He reportedly offered a complimentary aeration and one free treatment as part of the offer.

Barrett reportedly closed his operation in Ohio in March, 2014. He notified customers that he was closing, but he did not find another landscaping contractor to apply the lawn treatments, nor did he provide refunds, according to the lawsuit.

We wont tolerate businesses that take advantage of Ohio consumers, Attorney General DeWine said. This contractor went door to door signing up customers but left town before providing the promised services.

The Attorney Generals lawsuit was filed in the Warren County Court of Common Pleas. It charges Barrett with violating Ohios Consumer Sales Practices Act and Home Solicitation Sales Act by failing to deliver services, performing shoddy work, and failing to provide proper notice of consumers right to cancel a home solicitation sale.

The AGs office encourages consumers who believe they have been treated unfairly to contact them at 800-282-0515 or visit ohioattorneygeneral.gov.

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AGs office sues lawn company