'Predatory' Solar Company Goes Bankrupt After Multiple Lawsuits: AG

HARTFORD, CT — A New Jersey-based solar panel company has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after being sued by Connecticut's Attorney General William Tong and others for apparently using illegal and unfair sales tactics.

Tong sued Vision Solar LLC in March after an investigation, in coordination with the Department of Consumer Protection, "exposed Vision’s use of high-pressure sales tactics, misrepresentations, delays, and unpermitted work," Tong's office said in a news release Wednesday.

Tong's lawsuit accuses Vision Solar of pressuring consumers into loans for solar panels they could not afford and which, in some cases, were never activated. It also claims that the company did work without applying for or obtaining necessary permits, leaving consumers with systems that could not be connected to the grid as promised.

"We’re investigating numerous complaints regarding high-pressure solar industry sales tactics, but Vision Solar’s predatory practices are far and away the worst we have seen," Tong said, in part, back in March. "Vision Solar preyed on low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners."

Connecticut’s lawsuit alleges violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, the Home Improvement Act, and other state laws.

Vision Solar began offering its services as a registered Home Improvement Contractor installing residential solar systems in Dec. 2020, according to officials. Since Aug. 2021, the Office of the Attorney General has received 14 complaints.

Though Vision Solar is based in Blackwood, New Jersey, Connecticut was the first to take the company to court for its "deceptive conduct," Tong noted.

Since Tong’s filing, other attorneys general, the Federal Trade Commission, and business partners have also sued Vision Solar, according to officials.

"We looked forward to taking our case all the way to trial," Tong wrote Wednesday. "Unfortunately, Vision collapsed before that could happen. But we will continue to fight for Connecticut consumers and to hold Vision accountable for its illegal and unfair actions."

Vision Solar filed its petition under Chapter 7 of the bankruptcy code, meaning the company is shutting down and not seeking to reorganize.

According to officials, Vision Solar’s Connecticut consumers who believe the company owes them money or services and who submit a proof of claim to the bankruptcy court may be entitled to compensation of up to $25,000 from the Department of Consumer Protection’s Home Improvement Guaranty Fund — but only if the bankruptcy is finalized and the consumers are not made whole on their claims.

Vision Solar’s bankruptcy proceeding is currently pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.