Oklahoma City Man Arrested For Home Repair Fraud

An Oklahoma City man was arrested this morning on allegations of home repair fraud after an investigation by Attorney General Drew Edmondson’s Consumer Protection Unit.

Alan B. Holcombe, 49, was charged yesterday in Oklahoma County District Court with four counts of home repair fraud for allegedly bilking almost $30,000 from four Oklahoma City homeowners.

“Holcombe is accused of contracting to perform various home repair and remodeling projects at four locations and failing to perform any work or refund down payment money,” Edmondson said. “The total monetary loss in this case is $29,200, with individual losses ranging from $500 to $21,000.”

Holcombe, who does business as A.H. Remodeling Company, Wilkinson Home Remodeling Company and Windows Only Inc., allegedly assisted some of his victims in obtaining home equity loans to fund the projects.

“For most people, their home is their largest investment and their most valuable asset,” Edmondson said. “Not only did these people lose their money to a scam artist, but some are having to pay off loans and interest. It’s a double hit.”

The planned work included bathroom remodeling and replacing widows and doors.

“During our investigation, we learned Holcombe has outstanding complaints from consumers in Mississippi alleging fraud related to the 2005 hurricanes,” Edmondson said. “We will be forwarding information from our investigation to Mississippi attorney general investigators for their use.”

The attorney general also gave the following tips for hiring a home repairman:

* Always have a detailed written contract. The contract should spell out all costs for the work to be done and specify start and completion dates.
* Never pay a large amount of money up front. If a repairman demands a large down payment, you should see it as a warning sign.
* Contact the Attorney General’s Office or the Oklahoma Better Business Bureau to see if there have been any complaints against a particular repairman. If the repairman has a history of unhappy customers, take your business elsewhere.
* For more information or to report possible fraud, contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit at (405) 521-4274.