FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has announced a major court order against a solar installation company plagued by consumer complaints for deceptive practices, unfinished work and non-functioning systems.
The ruling means the company, Design 1 Group, LLC, must now comply with a strict set of court-ordered guidelines.
The Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection launched an investigation into ‘Design 1’ after receiving nearly 200 consumer complaints. Franklin Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate granted the Attorney General’s request for a temporary restraining order.
The court found the defendants’ “unlawful conduct includes, without limitation, grossly misrepresenting the potential energy savings a solar power system can provide, misrepresenting consumers’ eligibility for tax credits, and engaging in various other misrepresentations in the course of selling solar power systems.”
According to court documents, the defendants also violated the law by “refusing to meaningfully address consumer complaints.” Effectively, the company must change the way they do business, including no longer misrepresenting potential energy savings, or face closure.
“With this judicial order, we’re sending a strong message to bad actors, like Design 1, that Kentucky is not the place to do business,” said Coleman.
The court order is the latest in a series of the Attorney General’s victories to protect Kentuckians from predators in the residential solar industry. In another case against Solar Titan and Solar Mosaic, the Office fought for and successfully won a court order affirming its right to protect Kentuckians by bringing lawsuits wherever the bad actors are located, and the harm occurred.
Kentuckians who have concerns or suspect unlawful business activity should contact the Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection here.
Anyone who is interested in installing solar panels should read the Attorney General’s “How to Prevent Solar Scams.”
Assistant Attorney General Lindsey Antos represented the Commonwealth in the case and was assisted by a team including Assistant Attorney General Paul Fata.
You can read the court order here.
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