A Burbank contractor faces consumer fraud charges after being accused of bilking clients out of thousands of dollars by failing to complete promised home repairs and remodeling, Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan’s office announced last week.
Ron Labay, owner of Ron & Don’s Construction, is accused of violating the Consumer Fraud and Home Repair Acts when he contracted with several Chicago-area homeowners, then failed to finish the work, officials said.
In one case, Labay allegedly left a customer, who had paid him more than $13,000, with a gutted garage and refused to refund the money, according to the complaint filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The complaint seeks $50,000 in penalties for each violation and restitution for consumers who lost money.
Labay could not be reached for comment. He was also accused of failing to incorporate his business or provide consumers with proper documents, according to the complaint.
Labay responded to initial inquiries into his business practices but failed to rectify the allegations, prompting the complaint, Assistant Atty. Gen. Gil Fergus said.
In 2003, the Illinois Consumer Fraud Bureau received 2,240 complaints regarding home repair contractors, said Fergus, who heads the bureau. The majority of cases are settled out of court, he added.