HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has filed a civil lawsuit against a York County contractor accused of pocketing over $150,000 in advance payments from homeowners and then either abandoning the projects or delivering substandard work.
Eric Christopher Ward and his business entities — American Home Solutions Corporation and Elite Remodeling, LLC — are named in the complaint, which stems from more than 30 consumer reports of incomplete or poorly executed home improvement projects. Ward allegedly continued signing new contracts even after his business had been reduced to a minimal staff and lacked the resources to complete promised jobs.
Key Points
- Over $151,000 in customer deposits were collected before work was left unfinished or never started.
- Ward allegedly kept signing contracts after a warehouse fire destroyed key supplies and tools.
- The lawsuit seeks restitution, penalties, and a permanent ban on Ward operating as a contractor in Pennsylvania.
“This is one of the more egregious examples of customer harm by a home improvement contractor our Bureau of Consumer Protection has come across,” AG Sunday said. The lawsuit aims to secure restitution for affected consumers and permanently bar Ward from contracting in Pennsylvania.
The Office of Attorney General’s investigation found that some customers financed their projects through third-party lenders. Even after notifying the lenders that work was incomplete, several were still obligated to repay the loans in full.
Despite a warehouse fire in Maryland in July 2023 that destroyed essential tools and supplies, Ward allegedly continued to sign contracts. In one case, a homeowner entered a bathroom remodeling agreement more than a month after the fire, with no work ever performed and no refund issued.
Lawsuit details business misconduct
In April 2023, Ward’s business reportedly shrank to a “skeleton crew” following a mass employee exodus over unpaid wages. Despite this, Ward and his companies continued to advertise services and take deposits for new work.
The lawsuit accuses Ward of violating the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (HICPA), the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (UTPCPL), and the Fictitious Names Act. Charges include accepting payments while lacking the capacity to perform the work, failing to complete projects professionally, and neglecting to register “Elite Remodeling” as a business entity.
The state is also seeking penalties and court costs to be paid by Ward as part of the legal action.
Pennsylvania’s Attorney General is suing a York County contractor after more than 30 consumers paid over $150,000 for work that was never done or done poorly.
