Construction company accused of scamming Florida residents sued by AG Uthmeier

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier was in Sarasota Friday to announce his office has filed a lawsuit against a construction company and its executives for allegedly scamming at least 80 residents out of at least $1 million in insurance payments over four years.

Uthmeier filed the suit in the 20th Judicial Circuit in Lee County. Named defendants are Evolve Construction and Evolve Construction & Restoration Inc. — which operate as Evolve Enterprise — and six of its executive principals. 

The AG’s office alleges the defendants used predatory contracts that left residents without protection and operated without home solicitation permits, moves Uthmeier claims violate Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, which his office enforces.

“We’ve been able to identify over a million dollars at this point from 80 different complainants, and that number is only going to grow,” Uthmeier said during the press conference.

The Florida Phoenix called Evolve Construction at the Sherman Oaks, Calif., headquarters advertised on its website but no one answered. Phone calls to Evolve Construction & Restoration offices in  Naples, Sarasota, Orlando, and Port Charlotte offices advertised on the website also went unanswered.

Following Hurricanes Ian and Milton, Uthmeier said, individuals from the companies would go into storm-ravaged neighborhoods, knocking door to door, promising to repair roofs and search for mold.

“They stole millions of dollars of insurance money that these residents received that was supposed to go towards home repairs but, the kicker, they didn’t do the repairs. On many cases, they did not even begin the repairs. But in all of these cases, they certainly did not finish them, taking the money, running, leaving these poor residents, these victims, with damaged buildings and homes and, in many cases, liens on the property — that’s unacceptable,” Uthmeier said.

The AG said he hopes other people who have been scammed contact his office “so that we can beef up our suit even further. Take these guys to the cleaners, make sure that they are held fully accountable, and get your money back to you so that you can be made whole.”

Uthmeier was named Florida’s top law enforcement official by Gov. Ron DeSantis after he tapped former Attorney General Ashley Moody to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Marco Rubio when he became Secretary of State.

To keep the position, Uthmeier must be approved by Florida voters in November. He faces Democratic challenger José Javier Rodriguez.

He used the press conference as an opportunity to praise his former boss.

“I think Gov. DeSantis has has really written a master class for all leaders when it comes to how to handle thees these disasters [hurricanes], Uthmeier said.

He praised Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman and other law enforcement, noting, “They do Lord’s work.”