Illinois is suing a home repair company accused of turning routine service calls into expensive jobs by telling homeowners they faced emergencies or even life-threatening hazards.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed the lawsuit against Arlington Heights-based ABC Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric on Sept. 3. The state’s 55-page complaint alleges the company violated Illinois consumer protection and home repair laws through practices that frequently targeted senior citizens.
According to the complaint, customers were sometimes drawn in by low-cost promotions, including a $25 furnace tune-up. Once technicians entered a home, the state alleges, they sometimes inspected areas beyond the original problem without permission and recommended additional work…