Kansas A.G.: Fort, Cambridge men, Milton company banned, face $230,000 in fines

Two Wisconsin men, one from Fort Atkinson and another from Cambridge, along with a Milton-based roofing company have been banned from doing business in the state of Kansas, according to information released Thursday by the Kansas Attorney General’s office. 

Additionally, the men and company have been ordered to pay $230,000 in penalties for alleged violations of the state’s roofing and consumer protection laws, according to the release. 

Within the release, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt noted that Benjamin Thayer, of Cambridge, and Ryan Metzker, of Fort Atkinson, along with Copperhead Contracting, LLC, of Milton, “are enjoined from operating as roofing contractors in Kansas.”

The release states: “Shawnee County District Court Judge Mary E. Christopher approved a default judgment and ordered the defendants to pay $230,000 in penalties and banned from doing business in Kansas, including operating as roofing contractors.

“Schmidt filed a petition on July 7, alleging that the defendants conducted door-to-door solicitations and entered into contracts with seven individuals and one business for roofing services following a hail storm in May 2018. The defendants were ordered to pay $70,000 in civil penalties for failing to register with the state as required by the Kansas Roofing Registration Act.” 

Furthermore, the release continues “the defendants were ordered to pay $160,000 for failing to provide consumers’ right to cancel transaction notices and failure to provide notice of cancellation forms advising the consumers of their three-day right to cancel, violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act.”

The case was litigated by Assistant Attorney General Sarah Dietz.

A link to the attorney general’s press release is here: https://ag.ks.gov/media-center/news-releases/2022/10/27/wisconsin-men-company-banned-from-doing-business-fined-for-roofing-and-consumer-protection-act-violations. 

A copy of the court ordered default judgment is here: https://www.ag.ks.gov/docs/default-source/consumer-judgments/2022/2022-cv-000416.pdf?sfvrsn=f5eda21a_6.