LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — When administrative law judge Noah Allison asked if anyone from Arcadia Solar NV was present at a Nevada State Contractors Board disciplinary hearing in Las Vegas on Wednesday, there was silence.
And that's the same thing Arcadia customer Jack Mazzan got a few months ago when he tried to reach out to someone at the company. That's because the company — which has operated in multiple sunbelt states — closed its Nevada operations back in the spring.
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Now, Mazzan and his wife, Catherine Mazzan, are on the hook for a 25-year loan for a close to $40,000 payment for the panels, which now sit on the roof of their home in the northwest part of Las Vegas.
Mazzan said he was told the panels would lower his power bills, but they aren't any lower. And he said an Arcadia salesman also told him an $11,000 tax credit could be used to help pay down the loan, but that didn't turn out to be the case.
| "They promised that putting solar in would improve my financial life, but it didn't happen," Jack Mazzan said. "We found out [in June] that they had gone out of business. We don't have any choice but to deal with this now, but we don't have another dime." |
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The Mazzans said the ordeal has forced them to consider selling their home. Because they're on a fixed income and they aren't realizing any savings from their panels, they may have to move out of state, possibly to a place where the cost of living is cheaper.
A State Contractors Board official told Channel 13 that it's likely Arcadia's business license will be permanently revoked later this year. And there could be fines associated with any additional disciplinary action.
Earlier this year, Channel 13 looked into another company — Titan Solar — that has been disciplined by state regulators for its business practices. In some cases, companies oversell the benefits of solar panels or promise benefits that are never realized.
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At times, regulators have found bad actor companies lock consumers into long contracts that they may not fully understand.
Along with the Mazzans, others have formally complained to the state about Arcadia. That list includes John Hurwitz, who told Channel 13 in an email that the installation of panels caused damage to his roof. All told, he said his ordeal will likely cost him $25,000.
"We'll wait for the next hearing and move forward the best we can," said Hurwitz, who attended Wednesday's hearing.
If you're a solar panel customer and you're concerned about a particular company's business practices in Nevada, the State Contractors Board has a special task force to look into such issues.
To file a complaint, visit the contractors board website and click on "file complaint or report violation."
