In a dramatic legal filing, a California resident has accused a roofing company and its employee of fraud and negligence over the installation of a solar power system that failed during critical times. Ryan Fox filed the complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of Ventura, on April 3, 2025, against August Roofing, Incorporated, and its employee Travis Freidenreich.
The case centers around Fox's allegations that he was misled into purchasing a SunPower solar system from August Roofing. According to the complaint, Fox was assured by Freidenreich that the SunPower system was reliable and would provide continuous power during outages. However, when Southern California experienced severe fires between November 2024 and January 2025 leading to power shutdowns by Southern California Edison, Fox discovered that his solar battery failed to perform as promised. The complaint alleges that major appliances were improperly connected to the battery against Fox's instructions, causing it to drain quickly during an outage on January 8, 2025.
Fox accuses Freidenreich of making false representations about the reliability and capacity of the SunPower system despite knowing or recklessly disregarding its defects. The lawsuit claims these misrepresentations led Fox to purchase a defective product from a company undergoing bankruptcy proceedings. Furthermore, it alleges negligence on the part of August Roofing for failing to follow installation instructions properly.
The plaintiff seeks various forms of relief from the court. These include damages for fraud and negligent misrepresentation, restitution for financial losses incurred due to reliance on false statements, and punitive damages. Additionally, Fox requests injunctive relief aimed at revoking August Roofing’s contractor license and barring them from selling or installing solar panels in the future. He also seeks statutory penalties under California's Business & Professions Code Section 7160.
Representing Ryan Fox is attorney Yisrael Gelb from Gelb Law APC. The case is presided over by Judge [Name not provided] under Case No. 2025 CUBTO43588.