NC Attorney General files ‘investigative demand’ against Charlotte Fiberglass Pools

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - A Matthews pool company investigated by WBTV for leaving customers’ projects incomplete or damaged is now at the center of a new investigation. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein tells WBTV his office has received more than 19 complaints about Charlotte Fiberglass Pools.

“They assert that the company took money but didn’t do any work or did very little work. Obviously that would be illegal,” Stein said.

Stein says his office is investigating Charlotte Fiberglass Pools and owner Niury Ortiz. Stein sat down with WBTV to talk about how his office is responding to consumers’ complaints.

“We have issued an investigative demand into the company to to find out exactly how many customers they have, what has been their business practice, how many jobs have they completed and how many are left undone. So we’re very concerned,” Stein said.

The company has received letters from the NCDOJ before but records obtained by WBTV show there have been few responses. Stein says the investigative demand is different in that it seeks records of bank statements, listing of past employees and other critical business records.

“So that’s why we’ve issued an investigative demand which has the authority of the court behind it. So if they do not respond to our investigative demand we will go to court and compel their response,” Stein said.

Key to customers though is whether they will ever see their money again.

“It’s premature in this case,” Stein said.

“But I can just tell you we had a price gouging settlement about two or three weeks ago, the largest price gouging settlement in state history, where we had similar complaints had to do with a tree removal company that was taking payments but not doing the work.”

“So we went to court, we got an order that company has now refunded all customers, they’ve forgiven any debt that they have asserted that people owe them and they’ve assured us and guaranteed the court they will never engage in those practices in north Carolina again,” Stein said.

Stein said those type of results take time. Additionally Charlotte Fiberglass Pools is no longer operating.

“A lot of it depends on the company and whether they want to try to solve the problem or stonewall us. If they stonewall us and make us litigate it until the end we will do that it just takes more time,” Stein said.

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