The Illinois Attorney General’s office is suing two northwest suburban home repair companies, claiming they charged residents more than $175,000 for work that was shoddy or never performed.
The lawsuit names Volo-based Sentry RSW (Roofing, Siding, and Windows) and its president, Keith Polanowski; as well as Sentry Restorations Inc. and its president, Brett Clark, as defendants.
The companies operated as one entity but used different names to confuse consumers, according to a statement from Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan’s office. Sentry Restorations has since been dissolved.
The suit claims the companies took homeowners’ insurance checks for roof repairs or other construction services, but did not perform the work or did a substandard job.
Consumers who contacted the companies to complain either could not reach anyone or were promised further repairs that were never performed, the statement said. Most consumers trying to cancel contracts were refused refunds, and some were sued for breach of contract.
Madigan’s office received 50 complaints about the companies from residents of Cook, DuPage and Lake counties, who said they lost a total of $176,000. The Better Business Bureau has also received 24 complaints.
The suit claims the companies violated the state’s Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, and the Home Repair and Remodeling Act.
It asks the court to prevent the companies from doing business in Illinois, and to nullify any contracts, provide restitution to consumers and impose civil penalties on the defendants.
The attorney general’s office is asking anyone who may have been defrauded by Sentry RSW or Sentry Restorations to call the consumer fraud hotline at (800) 386-5438.
