Source: North Carolina Department of Justice
Attorney General Josh Stein filed a lawsuit against a contractor for defrauding North Carolinians who were attempting to repair storm damage after Hurricane Florence.. According to the North Carolina Department of Justice (NCDOJ), Stein filed a suit against Dennis Daugherty and his company Green Lantern Roofing and Restoration.
The lawsuit alleges that Daugherty traveled to North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence and went door to door, falsely claiming to be a licensed contractor. Daugherty demanded advanced payments and urged customers to sign contracts requiring them to sign over their insurance checks. Once he received payment, his company deceived customers by “doing minimal and shoddy work, failing to pay subcontractors, stringing consumers along with false promises to complete the work, and, ultimately, abandoning the projects without refunding the substantial sums received from consumers.”
Attorney General Josh Stein said “Dennis Daugherty saw North Carolinians struggling to rebuild their homes after Hurricane Florence as an opportunity to make a quick buck, we allege in our complaint. When businesses trick their customers, I’ll take them to court.”
According to NCDOJ, those who fell victim to this alleged scheme were unable to get additional relief from insurance companies to repair their homes from Hurricane Florence and were forced to pay out of their own pockets. NCDOJ received nine complaints from North Carolinaians who paid more than $250,000 to Daugherty’s company.
Stein is asking the court to bar the company from doing business in North Carolina as the lawsuit continues. Stein is also seeking restitution, civil penalties, injunctive relief, and attorney fees on behalf of North Carolinians.
Read the full complaint filed by Attorney General Josh Stein.
