Lansing, MI - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is sharing important reminders as many Michiganders face weather-related damage and repairs.
Last week, ice jams caused flooding in some communities and heavy snowfall contributed to accidents, while forecasted heavy rains prompted flood advisories yesterday.
In response, Nessel is reissuing her consumer alert focused on researching home repair contractors and offers to avoid being scammed in the event the recent weather creates damage to residences.
“Whenever home or business owners face repairs from weather damage, it’s important the issue gets addressed right away. Unfortunately, those situations often attract bad actors looking to scam unsuspecting consumers,” Nessel said. “It remains important to your financial health and peace of mind to exercise caution when choosing any building contractor or company for repair or improvement services.”
Nessel has also received questions related to a towing company’s pricing following a weekend pileup on I-696.
“As of this morning, we have not received any consumer complaints arising from this incident; however, I’ve assigned an investigator to gather more information about it,” Nessel said. “Any consumers who believe they were subjected to inappropriate towing or vehicle storage charges arising out of this situation are encouraged to file a complaint with our Consumer Protection Team.”
Nessel is also reissuing her consumer alert on vehicle towing, which explains the process to complain about unreasonable fees in certain situations.
It’s important to note that if a complaint involves a circumstance where a tow was directed by the police or a private property owner, and you want to contest the tow and unreasonable fees, you need to file a petition for a court hearing. The Attorney General may not represent you in court. If you or the secured party do not retrieve the vehicle or request a hearing within 20 days, it may be sold at public auction, and you lose all rights to the vehicle.
The Department provides a library of resources for consumers to review anytime on a variety of topics.
Your connection to consumer protection is just a click or phone call away. Consumer complaints can be filed online at the Attorney General's website, or if you have questions call 877-765-8388.