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AG Nessel Secures Judgment Against Lawn Care, Pool Company Over Consumer Protection Violations

LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has secured a default judgment (PDF) against Caltons Lawn Care & Landscaping LLC and its owners, Aron Dean Calton and Leslie Calton, of Kent City, for violating the Michigan Consumer Protection Act. The company took advanced payments or deposits for lawn service and pool projects, performed little or no work, and then ignored or blocked customers who requested refunds. The Attorney General filed a lawsuit last year after the Caltons, operating under the names Caltons Lawn Care & Landscaping LLC and Lake Michigan Pool and Outdoor Services on Facebook, engaged in this conduct with multiple consumers across West Michigan.  

The default judgment enjoins the Caltons or any entity they create from doing business in Michigan where they are paid in advance of the work being completed. The judgment also dissolves Caltons Lawn Care & Landscaping LLC and prohibits the Caltons from refusing to refund consumers. The Caltons are additionally required to pay a $100,000 civil fine and are barred from transferring, assigning, spending, or disposing of funds or assets that could be used to refund affected consumers.   

“Contractors cannot take money from consumers and then disappear without the work being finished,” said Attorney General Nessel. “I am proud of the work my office has done to secure this judgment and the work they continue to do to protect Michiganders from unscrupulous business practices.” 

Since the lawsuit was filed, the Department of Attorney General has received reports alleging that the Caltons have continued to perform the same misconduct. Attorney General Nessel urges anyone who may have had similar experiences with businesses connected to the Caltons to contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Team. The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team can be reached at: 

Consumer Protection Team
P.O. Box 30213
Lansing, MI 48909
517-335-7599
Fax: 517-241-3771
Toll-free: 877-765-8388
Online complaint form

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