Brevard solar company never finished job, leaving customer waiting

Hoping to reduce his power bill, now out thousands of dollars

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Brevard County man says the local company he contracted to install solar panels on his home never finished the job and he fears the company may have gone out of business.

Steven Vandercook was like many homeowners wanting to go green and lower his power bill.

He did the research and decided to go with Brevard Solar, LLC in Titusville.

“They promised the same stuff everyone else was promising on paper, but they were 30% cheaper,” Vandercook said.

Vandercook said he signed a contract with the company for more than $21,000 in July. The installation was to be completed in 12 to 14 weeks, according to the contract.

The company didn’t start the job until November, according to Vandercook.

They installed the railings on the roof and gave multiple dates for the solar panels to be installed and missed every appointment, according to Vandercook.

"That was pretty much my entire December waiting, waiting, waiting," he said.

The company set an appointment for Monday of this week, but never showed, according to Vandercook

Tuesday he went to the office and found no one there, and no one has returned his calls, he said.

When he did reach an employee by phone -- it wasn’t good news.

"That was when she told us the company had dissolved," he said.

News 6 was not able to confirm if the company went out of business, because the company never returned our calls.

“They owe it to us to tell us, rather than just vanish. They literally just vanished,” Vandercook said.

Vandercook said he financed the project and is trying to figure out if he will be able to get his money back.

News 6 received a statement from Brevard Solar Thursday, this is what they had to say:

"We are actively reviewing complaints we have received against Brevard Solar and working with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office to ensure that they have received all complaints and information as well. Our Consumer Protection Division is also in touch with FDLE, the Brevard County State Attorney’s Office, the Central Florida Better Business Bureau, and the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, who issued a license for this company. As this matter is actively being worked among various agencies, we cannot comment further at this time.

The Consumer Protection Division, a civil enforcement authority, enforces Chapter 501, the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, which protects consumers from unscrupulous business practices. We encourage consumers to file complaints with our office if they suspect they are victims of a scam. Consumers should also contact local law enforcement to file a complaint if they suspect criminal activity.

In addition, consumers may be able to recover lost funds through the Construction Recovery Fund if the work was done by a licensed contractor. For more information contact the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Construction Industry Licensing Board."

For more information on how to protect yourself click or tap here.


About the Author:

Emmy Award-winning reporter Louis Bolden joined the News 6 team in September of 2001 and hasn't gotten a moment's rest since. Louis has been a General Assignment Reporter for News 6 and Weekend Morning Anchor. He joined the Special Projects/Investigative Unit in 2014.

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