Beverly Contractor Named In Home Repair Consumer Fraud Suit

A defunct Beverly business was named in a lawsuit along with two other home repair businesses in a consumer fraud lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court on Tuesday, according to a news release from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.

The Beverly Fence Company, formerly located at 2626 W. 111th St.,Chicago, and its owner-operator, Dan Simmons, is accused of falsely representing his business as existing since 1929. Simmons is also said to have fraudulently claimed that Beverly was licensed and insured to install residential fences.

The lawsuit maintains that Beverly Fence Co. was involuntarily dissolved in 2012, and did not maintain a home repair license and had been ordered by the City of Chicago to stop installing residential fences in the the city without a license.

Simmons is also accused to taking substantial deposits from two customers and never starting either project. He is also alleged to have caused a power outage on a separate job due to the improper installation of a fence. A Google listing lists Beverly Fence Company as “permanently closed.”

Also targeted in separate consumer lawsuits were Juan Hurtado and company representative Michael Sanchez of Rinnovo Exteriors Inc., 1654 Hicks Road, Rolling Meadows; and Jeffrey Wixon and his company, Fino Creative Enterprises Inc., 2967 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago.

“There is nothing more frustrating for a homeowner than to invest in a home improvement or repair project only to be bilked out of your hard earned money by an unscrupulous contractor or a deceptive contract,” Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez said in a written statement.

Alvarez said the State’s Attorney’s Consumer Fraud unit will continue to investigate violations of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Home Repair and Remodeling acts as the summer home repair and remodeling season kicks into high gear.

Homeowners are encouraged to contact the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office if they feel they’ve been the victim of home repair fraud by calling the Consumer Fraud Hotline at 312-603-8700.