Oklahoma City Blog: Legal Issues

With Oklahoma included in the region known as Tornado Alley, we are among certain central American states that attract suspicious characters you might find in an alley, only instead of wearing long trench coats filled with fake jewelry, these characters pose as storm repair companies and contractors that claim to have a permanent residency here, when in actuality they do not even live here in OK.  Fraudulent storm repair contactors and repair companies look to take advantage of Oklahoma residents that are already at a loss when mother nature damages their home or business.  The Oklahoma City attorneys at Atkins and Markoff help protect OK consumers from these types of black-hat operations and hold them resonsible for bad or faulty work they have done.

Oklahoma City Fraudulent Repair Company Attorneys

This can also happen in flood- prone areas as well, but due to Oklahoma's recent tornado activity, Attorney General Drew Edmonson has issued a warning for this particular kind of scamming, saying "We take it very seriously. There has been enormous loss of property. There's been tragic loss of life." He went on to say that what is even more tragic is that some "prey upon situations like that." He is looking for more state laws to help with this problem, such as the statute put into effect after the 1999 tornado outbreak. Although it is price-gouging, it aims to keep people from being hit by repair fraud.

There are some ways to detect some of these scammers: keep a close eye on those that insist you pay with cash, those that put a lot of pressure on you to act quickly without giving you much time to think things through, and those going door to door. It's also wise to do your own research on even the most unsuspicious companies, and contacting the police for anyone who does seem suspicious. Edmonson also suggests checking them out with the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Unit and the Better Business Bureau, getting estimates from several firms, and getting their guarantees and warranties in writing.

You can also contact the Oklahoma City lawyers at Atkins and Markoff with any questions about tornado or flood repair companies, or for any questions you may have when encountering a suspicious company.

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