At least 80 consumers across 11 Florida counties have filed complaints with the Attorney General's Office, according to the state. More than 60% of the complainants are seniors, and consumers reported paying more than $1 million for work they allege was not performed as promised. Individual insurance payments ranged from approximately $5,000 to $80,000 per property, the complaint alleges.

The state alleges Evolve representatives solicited homeowners following Hurricanes Ian and Milton, offering free roof inspections and promising expedited permitting, quick construction schedules and assistance maximizing insurance settlements. According to the complaint, some sales representatives were not licensed contractors and did not have home-solicitation permits required under Florida law.

The state further alleges Evolve sometimes collected insurance proceeds in full before leaving projects unfinished or never starting them. The lawsuit also takes aim at Evolve's contracts with homeowners. Florida alleges the company used a Contingency Agreement that failed to provide good-faith itemized cost estimates or required cancellation language and imposed an unlawful cancellation penalty described as liquidated damages.

The Attorney General's Office further alleges the agreements effectively operated as assignments of insurance benefits. When homeowners tried to cancel contracts or seek refunds for work not performed, the companies allegedly refused some requests. Other consumers reported receiving incomplete or deficient work that failed inspections or resulted in additional property damage, according to the complaint.

The state also alleges Evolve threatened homeowners with construction liens and, in some instances, recorded liens or pursued foreclosure despite allegations that no work had been completed or materials purchased.

Evolve has previously disputed allegations that consumer complaints demonstrate wrongdoing. In a statement reported by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, the company acknowledged experiencing delays, communication issues and operational challenges following Hurricane Ian, describing the storm as creating an unusually difficult property-restoration environment.

The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new lawsuit reported by multiple news outlets.

“Everybody has heard of storm chasers, but most homeowners have not heard of storm scammers,” said William Webb, chairman of the Florida Home Builders Association. “These are the type of people that come in right after the storm claiming to be a contractor to help you out whether it’s your roof or other items that need attention. These scammers are out to take advantage of our uninformed homeowners that are already under duress from the storm. Don’t become a victim.”

The lawsuit contains two counts under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act one against the corporate defendants and another against the individual defendants based on their alleged participation in, knowledge of or control over the challenged practices.

Uthmeier is seeking an injunction, consumer restitution, disgorgement of allegedly improperly obtained funds, civil penalties and attorneys fees and costs. The case is a civil action, and the allegations have not been proven in court.