by Alex Lloyd Gross
April 7,2023
Imagine you hire a contractor for a home improvement project and you pay them $50,000. Then you find out they never secured any permits, created a leaking roof that damages the house, put a door frame in the wrong spot and punctured a gas line while working. That, among other things is what Michelle Henry, Attorney general For Pennsylvania alleges happened when Max Contractors Inc worked on a property.
Max Contractors, Inc. and it’s owner, Murillo Sousa, failed to correct issues and delivered shoddy work on multiple projects, Henry said. So her office is pursuing the matter in court and seeking to stop him from forming companies that do home repair work in the state.
“Sousa strung along customers with empty promises that ultimately led to Pennsylvanians being scammed out of their hard-earned money,” said Attorney General Henry. “He pocketed the money without completing the work — that’s a violation of the law, pure and simple.”
The lawsuit alleges that Murillo Sousa may have also used the names LMN General Construction LLC, Skyline Contractor Imperium LLC, Easy Way Construction LLC, Clean Future General Construction LLC, and MPS Home Improvement LLC, for his business. Sousa himself may have also been known to consumers as Murillo Da Costa Sousa, Murillo Sousa Dacosta, Murillo Da Costa, and Murillo Costa.
The lawsuit requests, among other things, that the court order the defendants to:
- Be permanently prevented from doing business as a home improvement contractor in Pennsylvania and any other work or practice that violates the Consumer Protection Law and the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act;
- Pay restitution to all impacted consumers;
- Pay civil penalties of $1,000 for each violation of the Consumer Protection Law and $3,000 for each violation involving a consumer 60 years or older.
Any consumers who believe they or someone they know may be a victim of these practices should file a complaint with the Bureau of Consumer Protection at www.attorneygeneral.gov, call 800-441-2555, or email scams@attorneygeneral.gov. Inspectors, contractors, laborers, suppliers, or anyone else who may have information regarding the business practices of Max Contractors Inc., Murillo Sousa, or any similar aliases he may use are also encouraged to contact the Bureau of Consumer Protection.
The Office of Attorney General also reminds Pennsylvania homeowners who are considering a remodeling or home improvement project to review the following tips to ensure the contractor selected is trustworthy:
- Do your research
- Check references
- Be wary of high pressure tactics
- Get more than one estimate
- Get a written contract
- Check your contract for the right to cancel date and project start and completion dates
- Review the entire project with your contractor
- Don’t sign a completion certificate until all work called for in the contract is done to your satisfaction
- Ensure your contractor is registered with the Office of Attorney General – visit the Bureau of Consumer Protection’s Contractor Registration website or call 1-888-520-6680
- For more information on Home Improvement contractor requirements in Pennsylvania visit the Office of Attorney General’s website.