LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — An administrative law judge on Wednesday decided to extend a probationary period for a solar company that has come under fire in Nevada for the alleged misleading of customers.
Judge Noah Allison decided to extend an in-place probationary period for Titan Solar Power NV Inc., which has installed thousands of residential solar panel systems in Nevada in recent years.
The company came under scrutiny after numerous customers filed complaints with the Nevada State Contractors Board, the agency in charge of policing business license holders in the state.
Titan has been on probation with the board since May 2023. The company, which does business in multiple states, has not faced formal punishment as of yet, though the board has made it clear they're watching Titan closely.
Rita Riemer, who owns a home in Henderson, says she's one of the disgruntled customers. She says she's on the hook for nearly $50,000 as part of a 25-year agreement.
Riemer says she did want the solar panels she has on her home installed, but that there were parts of the agreement that she didn't know she was signing up for.
"What they did to me was bad," Riemer says. "It was very fraudulent."
Today, the panels at Riemer's home aren't even functional and she says she's even had a lien placed on her home.
Titan officials say they did have some issues with their sales teams, but that it's all in the past. They say they've installed thousands of panel systems in Southern Nevada in recent years, yet have only received a few dozen complaints here.
Ken Williams, the company's president, says Titan is being unfairly targeted and that the company just wants a chance to defend itself against the accusations.
David Behar of the State Contractors Board says the solar industry is one that often seems to run into what some would call questionable business practices.
"That's why we've started up a solar consumer investigation unit," Behar says. "We're in a warm weather state and this time of year especially is when you'll see these salespeople start to really use these aggressive tactics. There are some tactics that are very misleading to consumers. A lot of these loans are deceptive trade practices where these contracts can go for 25 or 30 years."
As for Riemer, when she walks up to her front door, she can plainly see the now useless solar panels on her roof, an unpleasant reminder of a now years-long nightmare, she says.
"I don't even like to look at them," Riemer says.
For now, Titan continues to do business in Nevada and is also active in over two-dozen other states.
