Capitol News

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed a lawsuit against Calton's Lawn Care and its owners, Aron and Leslie Calton of Kent City. The suit alleges that the company accepted advance payments or deposits for lawn care and pool projects, did little or no work, and then ignored or blocked customers who asked for refunds. The lawsuit claims these actions violated the Michigan Consumer Protection Act. It asks the Ingham County Circuit Court to dissolve Calton's Lawn Care and require repayment to affected customers.

The complaint also states that the Caltons operated under both Calton’s Lawn Care and Lake Michigan Pool on Facebook, engaging in similar conduct with several consumers across West Michigan. Nessel encouraged anyone with similar experiences involving Calton's Lawn Care, Lake Michigan Pool, or other businesses linked to Aron or Leslie Calton to contact her office’s Consumer Protection Team.

“Companies cannot fail to provide the services they promised after accepting deposits or ignore rightful requests for refunds,” Nessel said. “My office will hold businesses accountable for engaging in these unfair practices.”

In 2024, the Department of Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team recovered more than $16 million for Michigan residents and the state. The team handled 10,000 consumer complaints and responded to 24,000 calls. The department also runs the Michigan Identity Theft Support Team, which helps people recover from identity theft; oversees charitable trusts; and enforces rules against illegal robocalls.

Nessel warned that proposed budget cuts by the Michigan House of Representatives could limit these services. If enacted, fewer resources would be available to help consumers avoid scams or resolve issues quickly.

“When residents are taken advantage of, they deserve to have an advocate who will step in, recover their money when possible, and hold bad actors accountable,” Nessel said. “The Consumer Protection Team has done just that – delivering millions back to Michiganders. Those results are at risk if the Legislature irresponsibly slashes our budget. We cannot weaken the protections that families and businesses across this state rely on.”

If a budget is not approved by October 1, resident-facing services at the Department would stop. There would be no staff available to answer consumer questions about scams or complaints against companies. New consumer complaints—including those about robocalls—would not be processed, nor would identity theft support be provided. Mediation efforts for solutions or refunds would halt as well as investigations into price gouging or deceptive marketing.

Consumers can reach out to the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team by mail at P.O. Box 30213 Lansing, MI 48909; by phone at 517-335-7599; fax at 517-241-3771; toll-free at 877-765-8388; or through an online complaint form.