TAMPA, Fla. — Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody took legal action Tuesday against a Tampa-based solar company and its owners accused of taking advantage of hundreds of consumers.
According to an investigation, the Attorney General's Office said MC Solar and Roofing and its owners, Armando Almirall, Raman Chopra, and Michael Crowder, used a variety of sales forces, misrepresentations, and finance companies to convince consumers into entering expensive solar agreements.
After securing the financing, the AG's Office said the defendants then paid themselves without finishing the work and even damaged consumer's homes in some cases.
The Attorney General's Office said records showed the defendants transferred funds from the company account to personal accounts, including accounts belonging to friends and family members.
“We know that we have collected more than 400 consumer complaints against this business as we started reaching out and seeking information, and again I would say many were from senior citizens, persons with disability, military servicemembers, or spouses of those in the military," said Moody.
According to the civil complaint, MC Solar performed all steps to market and commit the consumer to a solar contract, then took money without installing solar systems or abandoned the job in various stages.
The AG's Office said when systems did get installed, they did not pass inspection or did not connect to the electrical grid.
The AG's Office said the defendants also promised systems to be fully operational within weeks to a few months, however, they neglected the contracts and failed to respond to consumer's repeated phone calls, emails, and text messages.
The Attorney General's Office said frustrated consumers also visited the Tampa office, to which the defendants fled and locked the doors.
The Attorney General's Office said the investigation further revealed that MC Solar enticed consumers with federal tax incentives, guaranteed 25-year warranties, and misrepresented financing costs and interest rates. It says many ended up owing monthly payments on costly loans, and some even paid out of pocket to make systems operational.
"What was so shocking to the conscience is, in many instances, as people were desperately trying to pay both, at the same time, these bad actors were lining their homes," said Moody. "So they didn't perform the work, they didn't follow through on what they promised, the homeowners were on the hook for paying these large amounts, and then they would lien their homes at the same time."
The AG's Office said the civil action looks to permanently ban them from taking part in certain activities related to the solar business and asks for injunctive relief, restitution, and civil penalties.
A knock on the door turned out to be a nightmare for Malinda Stevens. One day last March, Stevens said she thought she had a reputable company that she trusted to come to her home in Ruskin to sell solar.
“They were very knowledgeable about everything," said Stevens. "I go in, and I’m reading the documents. I ask every question that you can think to make sure that they’re legit, and I went ahead and I signed.”
Stevens said she signed a contract with MC Solar, which she said she thought could be a contractor for the company she trusted.
“They came out very quickly," said Stevens. "Had the panels ready, guys came out, installed them in one day, and were gone.”
Stevens said the solar panels have never worked, and now she's been stuck paying the loan and her electric bills at the same time.
“It’s about $39,000," said Stevens. "At this point, we can’t even sell our home. This is considered a second mortgage, and in order to sell, that has to be paid off.”
Stevens said it turned out the person who knocked on her door was never with the company she trusted and said she hasn't been able to get a hold of MC Solar at all.
Now, she's trying to make sense of a financial headache and find a way forward.
“We just want the panels gone and the loan gone so we can move on, be able to sell, be able to survive," said Stevens. "I mean, right now, it’s getting hard.”
Bryan Oglesby, the Director of Public Relations for the BBB serving West Florida, said never feel pressured to act on an offer, instead take your time and do your research.
“If this company that you’re engaging with has a bad track record, chances are BBB has that information already. See what others are saying about the company, see what complaints are out there, and use BBB to find reputable companies you can trust," said Oglesby. “Look for that BBB-accredited business seal. These will be companies that we’ve vetted against standards. We’ve checked licensing. We’ve verified their information. You can get lists of companies in certain industries. That way, you’re starting off on a good foot. You’re reaching out to companies asking them to provide information.”
The BBB also has a handy checklist to help hire the right professionals.
ABC Action News has reached out repeatedly to the company, and we have not heard back.
The full civil complaint is below.
Oag v. Mc Solar Complaint by ABC Action News on Scribd
