Dozens of California homeowners allege an Oakland-based lending company conspired with contractors to issue fraudulent loans for home improvement projects that were never completed.
Nearly 160 complaints have been filed against the financial lending platform, Solar Mosaic, since 2019, according to data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. And on Monday, a group of nearly 100 people drove from Los Angeles to protest outside Solar Mosaic’s headquarters in downtown Oakland, demanding to meet with the company and seek loan forgiveness and repayments.
An executive assistant for Solar Mosaic met the protestors on Monday, agreeing to set up a meeting or another resolution in the next week.
“Mosaic takes homeowner safeguards seriously. We strive to create a positive customer experience for every homeowner who chooses Mosaic to finance their sustainable home improvements,” a spokesperson for Mosaic told KQED in an email. “In the event a homeowner complains, we work with the homeowner to understand their concerns and seek to resolve such concerns.”
Julie Robles was among Monday’s demonstrators. The Los Angeles homeowner said Viridi Construction, a construction company working to build an accessory dwelling unit, or in-law apartment, on her property requested $75,000 from Solar Mosaic, which the lender allegedly granted without any prior authorization from her.