The Iowa Attorney General’s Office is receiving complaints from individuals in southeast Iowa who have paid for services they didn’t receive. Bill Brauch is the director of the Consumer Protection Division of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.

According to Brauch, they’ve been notified that two businesses are accepting payments in advance for construction projects they either don’t start or leave unfinished. He says the businesses are Whitetail Construction, owned by Marvin Lawson, and Sturdy Buildings, owned by Jeremey Lawson. The complaints state the brothers were paid anywhere from $2,000 to $24,000 to construct buildings like sheds and garages.

Brauch explains that they can use the Iowa consumer Fraud Act to file consumer fraud lawsuits, which sometimes results in refunds for consumers. While Brauch isn’t confirming the Attorney General’s Office will take the brothers to civil court, he says out of all the home improvement cases they’re handling, this is a top priority.