Homeowners out thousands after they say home remodeling company never showed up
CHICAGO (CBS) -- More than a dozen customers of a suburban home remodeling company are out big bucks -- tens of thousands of dollars in some cases.
As CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported Thursday night, the window installing contractors disappeared, and now the homeowners are turning to us for answers.
Jordan and Vicki Kerr were ready to make a major cosmetic investment to their Buffalo Grove home.
"It was going to look so nice," said Vicki Kerr. "We saved up for this. It took us five years to finally do something about it."
The Kerrs cut a check for $19,741 to Window Depot USA of Chicago – a remodeling company with a network of locations across the country.
The Kerrs said the company never showed up.
"We feel like we did the right things, and still, here we are talking with you," said Jordan Kerr.
The Illinois Attorney General is now investigating more than a dozen formal complaints filed against Window Depot USA of Chicago. A spokesperson with the AG told us they are trying to help customers like the Kerrs – and the Kornfeinds, who had a similar experience.
"That was just that punch to the stomach for myself and my family," said Matt Kornfeind.
The $30,000 Kornfeind paid for a deposit to fix the siding and gutters on his home went down the drain. Since writing the check, no work has been done to his home in Buffalo Grove.
"We would just like our money back for what we paid for," Kornfeind said. "We paid for services that were not rendered."
We stopped by Window Depot USA of Chicago's Elk Grove Village location – where it looked more like a construction site than an office.
Calls to the local company went unanswered.
We also exchanged emails with the president and chief executive officer of Window Depot USA – but he offered no insight, explanation, or relief for the customers in the Chicagoland area who are now out thousands.
The Chicago location for Window Depot USA of Chicago is no longer listed on the company's website.
"It's absolutely terrifying," said Laura Starr. "I mean, to be perfectly honest, my husband and I drained our savings account to replace the siding on our home."
Unlike the others, the work on Starr's home in Brookfield was completed. But she has since been threatened with a lien on her home – as one of the contractors was never paid by Windows Depot USA of Chicago.
"Window Depot took all of our money, but they didn't pay their contractors with that money - so we are trying to avoid having a lien filed against our home. We're trying to avoid having to pay twice," Starr said. "I just really hope that as many of us as possible can be made whole again."
That is the hope for all the victims with whom we spoke – to get their money back. The Illinois Attorney General hopes for the same.
The Cook County State's Attorney's office says right now, they are reviewing the case to determine if legal action is appropriate.
