PITTSBURGH — An Allegheny County contractor is accused of charging thousands of dollars for work that was never done. The state attorney general is now taking action by filing a lawsuit against the landscaping company, Garden Art of Pittsburgh, LLC on the North Shore.
One customer who didn’t want to be identified is part of the 64-page lawsuit.
“I was extremely disappointed, hurt, and I felt like I was taken advantage of,” she said. “He didn’t hold up his end of the bargain. He didn’t do the work.”
The suit alleges the company’s CEO Arthur Ford, Jr never completed landscaping or home improvement work for at least 25 customers, saying he’d get thousands of dollars in deposits from customers but would do little work and then abandon projects.
The woman told Channel 11 Ford took tens of thousands of dollars from her saying it was for materials and equipment but never bought or rented anything. She said he strung her along for about three months last summer.
“Essentially, for the entire summer he delayed the project,” she said. “He would send some people to do minor work as if to start the project and then not follow up for several weeks, and he would come up with excuses.”
Zach Lieb said his Mount Washington neighbor also hired Garden Art of Pittsburgh, only to never have that work done. He told Channel 11 the homeowner ended up hiring someone else to finish the job.
“They started it and we saw people tracking up and down, moving equipment,” Lieb said. “They were going from the front to the back of the house, and, then they just left.”
Shortly after, in August 2022, Ford filed for bankruptcy claiming he owed customers more than $262,000.
Channel 11 news reporter Antoinette DelBel called Arthur Ford but as soon as she said she was media, he hung up.
Customers are hoping the suit sheds light on these types of unfair and illegal business practices.
“It will flag his name so other people will not have to suffer through this,” the woman said who didn’t want to use her name. “There has to be consequences.”
Ford’s bankruptcy case has since been dismissed.
Besides keeping Ford from working as a landscaping, or home improvement contractor in the state, the lawsuit also seeks restitution to those impacted.
To file a complaint against the business, call 800-441-2555, or email scams@attorney.general.gov.
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