An elderly couple from Adelanto in San Bernardino County have filed a lawsuit against the lending company Goodleap.
The couple, Amelia and Daniel Perez, accuses the lender of participating in an alleged scheme to mislead senior homeowners into taking out large loans for allegedly defective solar panel installations on their homes.
The plaintiffs claim that Goodleap partnered with door-to-door salespersons and contractors to target vulnerable consumers for fraudulent sales and financing of solar panels.
The Perez couple allege that their electronic signatures were fraudulently affixed on a loan for solar panels they did not agree to, and that their credit was pulled for an unauthorized purpose. They also claim that Goodleap threatened them with legal action if they did not pay. Further, they assert that the installed solar panels never functioned and were not permitted, causing damage to their home.
The lawsuit claims they were allegedly induced into taking out a fraudulent loan amounting to $27,708.89, with finance charges of $16,673.08 over 25 years.
The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified general, nominal and punitive damages, plus civil penalties, interest and attorney fees.
The lawsuit was filed Jan. 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
They are represented in the case by attorneys Adam J. McNeile and Kristin Kemnitzer, of Kemnitzer Barron & Krieg, of Tiburon.