LAS VEGAS (KTNV) – Amid a rising variety of complaints from shoppers, the Nevada State Contractors Board has began an investigative unit that may focus completely on the photo voltaic trade.
The workplace exists to look into allegations of theft, fraud, abandonment, diversion of funds, and unlicensed contracting work.
Board officers say the physique receives almost 3,000 complaints yearly with a couple of third of them associated to the photo voltaic trade, which has lengthy confronted questions on questionable practices. enterprise practices and excessive strain gross sales techniques.
As we head into the recent summer season months right here in Southern Nevada, David Behar of the contractors board mentioned householders needs to be alert to the truth that they might be a goal.
“We’re in a scorching climate state of affairs,” Behar mentioned. “This time of 12 months is whenever you see sellers begin utilizing these aggressive techniques.”
Las Vegas resident Charly Cutler says he’s a sufferer of deceptive enterprise practices by an organization known as Titan Solar Power NV, a part of an organization that does enterprise in a number of US states within the South.
Three years later, he agreed to purchase photo voltaic panels for the roof of his home. While he mentioned his electrical energy payments have gone down, he mentioned there are lots of points surrounding the set up and upkeep of the panel system.
As it stands, he is on the hook for about $70,000 as a part of a 20-year mortgage for the system.
“It’s the worst monetary determination I’ve ever made in my life,” he mentioned Friday. “I needed to actually study the photo voltaic trade so I might know what I used to be speaking about. It was inflicting issues for my household, my job, my firm…
Cutler encourages anybody contemplating shopping for photo voltaic panels to turn into educated concerning the trade.
Last month, the board introduced the arrest of contractor Derrick Carbajal of an organization known as Lifetime Solar. He is accused of taking almost $250,000 from unsuspecting aged householders, despite the fact that regulators and regulation enforcement officers say he by no means labored.
The board additionally has an eye fixed on Titan, which is at present on probation and will lose its Nevada enterprise license. Titan’s president was current throughout a board disciplinary listening to in Las Vegas this week, though no official punishment was introduced.
The board asks anybody who thinks they could be a sufferer of questionable practices by a photo voltaic firm to contact it by calling 702-486-1100. Residents can even go to the State Contractors Board web site at nscb.nv.gov.
