The Four Seasons Sunrooms lawsuit activity drawing attention in early 2026 centers on the brand’s Raleigh, North Carolina dealer, where at least ten homeowners have complained to the state attorney general that they paid large deposits for sunrooms that were never built or left unfinished. One customer has filed suit in Wake County, and the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors is investigating a formal complaint against the company.1ABC11. More Homeowners Say They Gave Deposits to Raleigh Sunroom Company, Haven’t Received Work or Refunds
What Homeowners Are Alleging
The complaints share a pattern. A customer signs a contract with Four Seasons Sunrooms of Raleigh, pays a substantial deposit or the bulk of the contract price up front, and then waits months while start dates slip and communication thins out.
Leann and Saeed Simpson-Tarokh of Cary signed an $81,000 contract in June 2024 and paid more than $72,000. Work was supposed to begin that December but did not start until April 2025. As of January 2026 the project was still unfinished, with water leaking through the structure and a newly installed door that was hard to open. The couple said they had to hire a separate contractor to redo and complete the job.1ABC11. More Homeowners Say They Gave Deposits to Raleigh Sunroom Company, Haven’t Received Work or Refunds
A customer identified as Candace signed her contract in April 2024 and paid more than $40,000 across two installments. She was given multiple promised start dates, one as late as May 2025, but no materials were ever delivered and no crew ever showed up. After she demanded a refund, owner Bob Gustavson sent her a $10,000 check and told her the rest would follow.2ABC11. Sunroom Company Accused of Taking NC Woman’s Money, Ghosting Work
Other reported cases include an Apex couple who paid more than $25,000 roughly a year before the January 2026 report with no work completed, and a Fuquay-Varina homeowner who paid $8,000 in March 2025 and received about one day of work.1ABC11. More Homeowners Say They Gave Deposits to Raleigh Sunroom Company, Haven’t Received Work or Refunds
The Lawsuit in Wake County
Paul Geske filed a small claims action against Four Seasons Sunrooms of Raleigh LLC and Lisa Deanne Gustavson in Wake County District Court in August 2025, alleging breach of a sunroom construction contract. The case was still active as of January 2026, with a motion to continue and a court order entered on January 2, 2026.3Trellis Law. Paul Geske vs. Four Seasons Sunrooms of Raleigh LLC
State Investigations Underway
The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office has confirmed complaints from ten customers alleging the company took their money without completing the contracted work. The North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors has separately confirmed it is investigating a formal complaint against the company. No enforcement actions, license revocations, or criminal charges have been publicly announced.1ABC11. More Homeowners Say They Gave Deposits to Raleigh Sunroom Company, Haven’t Received Work or Refunds
What the Owners Say
Owners Bob and Lisa Gustavson have denied acting in bad faith. Bob Gustavson blamed the delays on a shortage of skilled labor and steep increases in material and freight costs, which he said caused the company to lose money on individual jobs.4Yahoo News. Sunroom Company Accused of Taking Woman’s Money In January 2026, Lisa Gustavson said the company was operating with a single crew that takes three to six weeks per project, and that roughly $35,000 in unpaid balances from three other customers was adding to cash flow problems.1ABC11. More Homeowners Say They Gave Deposits to Raleigh Sunroom Company, Haven’t Received Work or Refunds In a message to one customer, Bob Gustavson wrote: “Please be assured that we are not thieves; we are a small company currently navigating through some challenging times.”2ABC11. Sunroom Company Accused of Taking NC Woman’s Money, Ghosting Work
Local Dealer vs. the National Brand
Four Seasons Sunrooms is a national brand dating to 1975 and now part of Latium Enterprises. It operates through more than 300 franchise and dealer locations along with a separate company-owned store division. Local dealers like the Raleigh operation are separate businesses.5Latium Enterprises. Four Seasons That distinction matters when a homeowner tries to figure out who is legally on the hook.
A 2024 Georgia Court of Appeals decision, Latium U.S.A. Trading, LLC v. Smith, shows the parent can sometimes be pulled into a dispute over a local dealer’s work. A homeowner sued over a botched installation by a local installer that Four Seasons had referred to as its franchise or dealer. Latium USA argued it was a separate entity from Four Seasons, which it called its subsidiary. The court found the parent had enough connection to the dispute: its own customer affairs department had visited the property when defects were found, and a representative had promised to make sure the installer “did the right thing.” The trial court entered a default judgment of $209,793.23 against Latium USA, the local installer, and its manager jointly and severally, and the Court of Appeals affirmed.6vLex. Latium U.S.A. Trading, LLC v. Smith That Georgia ruling does not govern the Raleigh cases, but it shows the parent is not automatically out of reach.
Steps to Take if You Paid a Deposit and Got No Work
Specific procedures vary by state, but the recovery paths available to homeowners in this situation are broadly consistent.
- File complaints with your state attorney general’s consumer protection division and, where the contractor is licensed, the state licensing board. In North Carolina, multiple Four Seasons Sunrooms of Raleigh customers have already done both.
- Send a formal demand letter by certified mail setting a deadline for performance or a refund. It creates a paper trail and is often a prerequisite to further legal action.7Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. Contractor Was Paid, Never Did Work
- Sue for breach of contract. Small claims court lets homeowners represent themselves without a lawyer, subject to state monetary limits.
- Dispute the charge with your credit card issuer if you paid that way. Chargebacks are typically limited to 60 days from the date the charge appeared on your statement.7Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. Contractor Was Paid, Never Did Work
- Check whether the contractor is bonded and file a claim with the surety company. Some states also maintain recovery funds for licensed contractor disputes.
- Report the matter to law enforcement if the contractor took money with no apparent intent to perform.
Documentation matters throughout. Keep the contract, every payment record, all written communication with the contractor, and photos or video of any incomplete or defective work. The Raleigh customers who have drawn the most regulatory and media attention are the ones who can show precisely what they paid, what was promised, and what was actually delivered.