Easier to Sue Contractors in Ohio, But Payouts Are Smaller
It's Now Easier to Sue Contractors in Ohio, But Payouts Are Smaller
The Ohio government has made it easier to sue contractors for bad work on homes, but the amount of money you can get from suing them is now less. If the work costs more than $25,000, it falls under a law called the Home Construction Service Suppliers Act (HCSSA) instead of the old law, the Consumer Sales Practices Act (CSPA).
This change has good and bad sides.
The bad side is that people can't get big money for damages like they could before. Now, they can only get back the money it costs to fix the problem, up to $5,000 for non-economic damages (like pain and suffering), and reasonable costs and lawyer fees.
The good side is that the definition of "owners" is better now and includes people like landlords, homeowners associations, and property managers who hire contractors to do work. It's also easier to prove that a contractor broke the law.
Contractors break the law if they do things like:
Take more than 10% of the total contract price as a deposit.
Not have a written agreement before starting work.
Not give an estimate for extra costs before starting work.
Charge for extra costs that the owner didn't approve.
Say they did repairs when they didn't.
Not do the work properly.
Not give a full refund for undelivered goods or services.
The contract must include a lot of details, like the contractor's name, address, phone number, and insurance information. If the contractor doesn't meet all the requirements, they can be sued under the HCSSA.
Owners of homes now have more power to take-action against bad contractors. You can contact us for more information.
This article is meant to be utilized as a general guideline. Nothing in this blog is intended to create an attorney-client relationship or to provide legal advice on which you should rely without talking to your own retained attorney first. If you have questions about your particular legal situation, you should contact a legal professional.
