State sues home improvement contractor for allegedly scamming Indy residents
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The Office of the Attorney General filed a lawsuit last week alleging a home improvement contractor in Indianapolis has been scamming Hoosiers by taking money and then abandoning projects without refunds.
Hank Eversole does business as All Services Construction and Nationwide Construction, according to court documents.
The lawsuit filed with the Marion Superior Court alleges he has violated the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act and the Indiana Home Improvement Act.
“Hoosiers looking to make repairs or improvements to their homes shouldn’t have to worry about being shafted by unscrupulous contractors,” Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said in a news release. “We will continue working to hold accountable any contractor trying to take advantage of hardworking homeowners in this manner.”
There was no attorney listed for Eversole in court documents posted on mycase.IN.gov.
A contact number and address for Eversole or the companies could not be immediately found in court documents or online.
The complaint lists consumers Jeffrey and Rhonda Archey as employing Eversole and his company after requesting an estimate for tree services.
While Frank Eversole was beginning tree services at the Archey’s property, he informed them that the trees had damaged their garage and that he could send his family to repair it.
For $25,000, Robert and Hank Eversole came in February 2022 to repair the garage for 30 days.
Robert and Hank Eversole represented to Archey that they did not need a permit to complete the garage project, then later told Archey they were waiting on permits, then informed the Archeys that the permits were the Archeys’ responsibility.
Hank Eversole never obtained the necessary permits.
The Archeys paid Hank Eversole $12,000 as a down payment on the garage repair project.
In March 2022, he allegedly told the Archeys they needed brick and mortar work on a wall that would cost an additional $16,000. They paid an initial $8,000 for the mortar work, which was completed, and then paid the next $8,000.
That same month, Hank told the couple that he needed an additional $7,000 for the garage repairs. They paid it that day by check.
Hank never returned.
The city of Indianapolis issued a stop work order in April 2022 due to him not having the necessary permits to perform the project.
The couple paid a total of $19,000 to Hank Eversole and never received refunds for the incomplete projects.
The complaint also lists consumer DJ Ursal, who entered a contract with Hank to build a roof system over the deck on his Indianapolis property.
Hank allegedly promised to complete the work in February 2023 for $4,600. Ursal paid $3,000 by check as the down payment. However, Hank kept delaying the project due to weather and then never started it.
The state is seeking a permanent injunction to enjoining Hank from owning, operating or managing any Indiana company or business engaged in providing home improvements until he has paid all restitution, costs and penalties.
The state also wants a permanent injunction preventing hank from entering into a home improvement contract without first obtaining a surety bond in the amount $75,000.
Since Ursal obtained a small claims judgment against Hank Eversole, the state is just seeking restitution of $19,000 for the Archeys. It is also seeking $5,000 per violation for civil penalties and $500 per violation for deceptive acts.
Center Township Judge Brenda A. Roper awarded $3,000 to Ursal against Hank Eversole and Nationwide Construction in February 2024.
The case is State of Indiana v. Hank Eversole, et al., 49D04-2410-PL-047442.
The IndyStar reported in 2014, the Office of the Attorney General had previously filed a lawsuit against Eversole for alleged scamming senior citizens.
Marion Superior Court Judge James B. Osborn ordered in 2016 a total of $97,631 be paid in restitution to the three plaintiffs.
Earlier this year, the Office of the Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Exact Loss Consulting, Storm Solutions Pros, and Adam Greer alleging that they entered into home improvement contracts with consumers for storm-related damage to their homes and then failed to complete the work as contracted and failed to comply with consumers’ requests for refunds.
The Office of the Attorney General also obtained a judgment against another set of companies doing business as Quest Exteriors that repeatedly entered into contracts to perform concrete and other exterior work on Hoosiers’ homes and failed to complete the work.
The contracts was ordered this month to pay almost $350,000 in restitution.