Ohio Sues Cincinnati Contractor Accused of Taking Large Down Payments for Home Projects That Were Never Finished

Published Oct. 7, 2026. Case statuses are current as of that date.

It is a familiar pattern: a homeowner hires a contractor, pays a big chunk up front, and then the work never starts or stops halfway, and the calls go unanswered. Ohio's attorney general says that's what happened to customers of a Cincinnati-area remodeling company.

On Oct. 2, 2026, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson announced a lawsuit in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court against Quincy Barrett and his company, Crown Pointe Remodeling, alleging they charged consumers for home-improvement work that was not completed or, in some cases, never even started [1].

"Ohioans who pay for home improvements deserve to get the work they paid for," Wilson said. "We will hold contractors accountable when they take consumers' money and run." [1]

Important: This is a civil consumer-protection lawsuit, not a criminal case. The state's claims are allegations that have not been proven in court, and Barrett and his company have not been found liable. When FOX19 contacted Barrett in January 2026 about customer complaints, he declined to comment until he could speak with his attorney [4]. We found no public response to the lawsuit.

What the lawsuit alleges

According to the attorney general's office [1]:

• Online solicitation. Barrett and Crown Pointe Remodeling, described as Cincinnati-based, solicited consumers online and sold interior remodeling and repair work as well as roofing, siding, windows and other exterior work.
• Large upfront payments. Consumers who complained to the attorney general's office say the defendants charged large upfront payments and didn't complete or start the jobs.
• Nine complaints, over $100,000. Nine consumers complained about Crown Pointe's work, citing damages of more than $100,000.
• Personal involvement. The lawsuit says Barrett personally endorsed some of the checks consumers wrote to Crown Pointe and had sole signatory authority over at least one company bank account.

The state alleges three violations of Ohio's Consumer Sales Practices Act: shoddy and substandard work, failure to deliver goods and services, and failure to provide refunds [1][2]. WKRC reported that the company has locations in Cincinnati, Fort Thomas and Bellbrook and that the suit seeks consumer restitution, civil penalties and other relief [3].

Earlier complaints

The lawsuit follows months of public complaints. In January 2026, FOX19 reported that several Tri-State homeowners said they had hired the company, operating as Crown Pointe Roofing & Remodeling, paid thousands of dollars up front, and never had the work completed or even started [4].

One homeowner told the station her family wrote a check for $24,745, about half of a window-replacement job, in June 2025; she said the company deposited it two days later, no work was done, and the company stopped responding. Another homeowner described a $35,000 project financed with a loan and repeated start dates that came and went. Customers had formed a Facebook group about the company that had 13 members at the time [4].

When FOX19 visited the company's Blue Ash office it was vacant, and its Fort Thomas office was also empty, the station reported [4].

Red flags when hiring a contractor

• A large deposit before any work or materials arrive. Half the job up front is a lot of risk to carry.
• Pressure to finance quickly through a lender the contractor arranges, with the loan paid straight to the contractor.
• Start dates that keep slipping, followed by unanswered calls and texts.
• A business found mainly through online ads with no long local track record you can verify.
• An office that's hard to pin down, or that moves.
• No written contract with a start date, finish date, payment schedule tied to completed stages, and a cancellation policy.

What to do

1. Check before you hire. Search the company and owner names with the Ohio Attorney General's office, the Better Business Bureau and your county court records. Ask for local references you can visit.
2. Pay in stages. Tie payments to finished work and keep the final payment until the job passes inspection.
3. Pay by credit card or check, never cash, and keep every receipt, contract and message.
4. Get it in writing. Insist on a written contract that spells out the scope, schedule, payment stages and your cancellation rights before you pay anything.
5. Report problems. In Ohio, contact the attorney general's office at OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515 [1]. Elsewhere, contact your state attorney general and local police.

Case status (as of Oct. 7, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 7, 2026	Source
Quincy Barrett, Cincinnati, OH	Hamilton County (Ohio) Common Pleas Court	Sued (civil) by Ohio Attorney General, announced Oct. 2, 2026; allegations unproven	[1], [2], [3]
Crown Pointe Remodeling (also known as Crown Pointe Roofing & Remodeling)	Same	Sued (civil), announced Oct. 2, 2026; allegations unproven	[1], [3], [4]

Civil allegations are unproven unless and until a court rules. Statuses can change.

Sources

1. Ohio Attorney General, "AG Wilson Sues Southwestern Ohio Contractor Accused of Incomplete Home Improvements," news release, Oct. 2, 2026. https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Media/News-Releases/October-2026/AG-Wilson-Sues-Southwestern-Ohio-Contractor-Accuse
2. Noelle Horn, "Area contractor sued for allegedly leaving projects unfinished," WHIO, Oct. 2, 2026. https://www.whio.com/news/local/area-contractor-sued-allegedly-leaving-projects-unfinished/AQNSJA5M6BCLZOKANI7HF7FAUE/
3. WKRC, "Ohio AG sues local contractor for alleged unfinished and shoddy work," Local 12, Oct. 2, 2026. https://local12.com/news/local/ohio-ag-sues-contractor-alleged-unfinished-shoddy-work-crown-pointe-remodeling-quincy-barrett-cincinnati-blue-ash
4. Brooklyn Andres, "Tri-State homeowners claim they were 'ghosted' by remodeling company after paying," FOX19 (WXIX), Jan. 16, 2026. https://www.fox19.com/2026/01/17/tri-state-homeowners-ghosted-by-remodeling-company-after-accepting-down-payment/

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