California Woman Billed $11,640 for Solar Panels She Never Received: Allegations of Scamming and Unresolved Accounts
California Woman Billed $11,640 for Solar Panels She Never Received, Joining Others Who Claim They Were Scammed
Sacramento homeowner Andrea Bokreta was shocked when she received an invoice for $11,640 for solar panels that she claims she never signed off on or received. In an interview with CBS13’s Call Kurtis, Bokreta expressed her disbelief, stating, “I thought ‘that’s a mistake’ because I knew I didn’t sign anything.”
The ordeal began a year ago when Bokreta met with a representative from solar company Freedom Forever but ultimately decided against getting the solar panels for her home. Despite not moving forward with the installation, Bokreta was asked to provide her Social Security number to get an estimate. To her surprise, she later discovered that a lien had been filed against her home by lender Solar Mosaic, without her knowledge.
Bokreta is not alone in her experience. More than 180 complaints have been filed against Solar Mosaic since 2019, according to data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In April, a group of nearly 100 people protested outside Solar Mosaic’s headquarters in Oakland, alleging that the lender colluded with contractors to issue fraudulent loans for home improvement projects that were never completed. The group claims to have collectively lost around $3 million in the scam.
One such victim, Geraldin Alvara, hired Viridi Construction to convert a garage into an accessory dwelling unit at her Los Angeles family home. Despite being promised a cost of $150,000 and approval for loans by Solar Mosaic, Alvara discovered that payments totaling $54,000 had been released to Viridi without any work being done. Now, Alvara and her family are facing financial hardship and fear losing their home.
In response to the allegations, Solar Mosaic has stated that they take homeowner safeguards seriously and have sued Viridi for breach of contract. Freedom Forever, on the other hand, claims that there were factual errors in Bokreta’s claim and provided documentation of her digital signature through DocuSign.
Despite efforts to rectify the situation, many homeowners are still awaiting resolution and some have lost their entire savings. Bokreta, who experienced a spike in her blood pressure due to the stress of the situation, is calling for accountability from both companies involved.
As investigations continue and legal actions are taken, homeowners affected by the scam are hopeful for justice and restitution.
