The V.I. Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs has filed suit against a contractor who has failed to pay fees and fines associated with an administrative decision by the DLCA.
In 2021, two homeowners filed a complaint with DLCA, saying that the contractor that had replaced their roof after the hurricanes of 2017 had not completed the work properly. For three years before filing the complaint, the homeowners said they had been going back and forth with Humberto Gittens, CEO of Avedon USA, LLC and Avedon USA, VI, LLC, about getting a persistent leak fixed, with no avail.
An administrative hearing on the matter was convened in March 2024. In November of that year, the Board of Contractors, Trades & Crafts found that Avedon was “negligent and failed to appropriately perform repairs on Complainants’ roof and failed to correct defects and deficiencies despite many requests,” according to the lawsuit. Avedon “breached the implied warranty of good workmanship,” “breached the applicable contract,” and also violated several statutes, the Board found, ultimately ordering the company to pay $5,000 in fines, $1,679 in fees, and $66,250 to the homeowners.
The decisions, contained in an original and supplemental order from DLCA, were transmitted by the usual methods to Avedon and Mr. Gittens by the end of 2024. Since then, the company has failed to respond in any way, either by paying the assessed fines and compensation, or by appealing the decision.
DLCA has therefore taken to the courts to seek judicial enforcement of the order, ensuring that Avedon and Mr. Gittens pay the required $5,000 fine and $66,250 plus interest to the homeowners.
As of press time, neither Mr. Gittens nor his company have filed a response to the lawsuit.
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