After receiving a flood of complaints against a Tacoma furniture store, the Attorney General’s Office today filed a lawsuit against brothers Loren and Joeseph Gill, alleging both engaged in illegal business practices during the sale of home furnishings at Gill’s Furniture.

The Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s Office has received numerous complaints from consumers who ordered and paid for merchandise from Gill’s Furniture, mostly between July and December 2011, then neverreceived their orders.  Consumers were continuously misled about the status of their orders and delivery dates; when their furniture never arrived, they were refused refunds.  Many consumers also claim their inquiries with the brothers were met with belligerence, and some have even reported being threatened by the Gills.

“The Gill brothers took thousands of dollars from consumers, often delivering nothing but the runaround to those who asked what happened to their money and their furniture,” said McKenna. “We’ve asked the court to impose serious penalties and provide customer refunds for these violations of the Consumer Protection Act.”

According to the lawsuit, Loren Gill owned LCG Corporation, doing business in Tacoma as Gill’s Furniture, and employed his brother Joeseph Gill as a commissioned salesperson.  Business records indicate LCG Corporation ceased operating on or around December 31, 2011.  MFC Furniture, owned by Joeseph Gill, now operates at the same location.

The lawsuit, filed today in Pierce County Superior Court, seeks to permanently stop the defendants from engaging in illegal business practices, as well as restitution for consumers, civil penalties of $2,000 per violation, and attorneys’ fees.