Kansas AG Sues Tree Trimmer for Exploiting Elderly Consumers

AG: Kansas News Releases

Filed February 25th, 2026

Detected March 18th, 2026

Summary

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has filed a civil lawsuit against M.GC Construction LLC and its employees for allegedly exploiting elderly consumers through deceptive door-to-door sales tactics. The lawsuit seeks civil penalties and a permanent injunction barring the defendants from future door-to-door sales in Kansas.

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What changed

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has filed a civil lawsuit in Riley County District Court against M.GC Construction LLC, its owner Nathan Leavy, and four employees. The suit alleges violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act and the Kansas Door-to-Door Sales Act, citing aggressive, deceptive sales tactics targeting elderly residents in Manhattan, Kansas. Specific allegations include failing to provide mandatory cancellation notices, charging exorbitant prices for minimal work (one instance cited $31,000 for work valued at $4,500), and pressuring consumers to write checks directly to individuals to prevent stop-payment orders.

The lawsuit seeks civil and enhanced penalties for violations against protected consumers, as well as a permanent injunction to ban all five named defendants from engaging in door-to-door sales in Kansas. Regulated entities and consumers should be aware of the aggressive enforcement actions taken by the Kansas AG against predatory business practices targeting seniors. Consumers who believe they have been victimized are encouraged to file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office.

What to do next

Review current door-to-door sales practices for compliance with Kansas consumer protection laws.
Ensure all door-to-door sales include mandatory verbal and written cancellation notices.
Verify that pricing for services is fair and not exploitative, particularly when dealing with elderly consumers.

Penalties

Civil penalties and enhanced penalties for violations against protected consumers. Seeking a permanent injunction to ban defendants from future door-to-door sales in Kansas.

Source document (simplified)

AG Kobach Sues Out-of-State Tree Trimming Company for Exploiting Elderly Consumers

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has filed a civil lawsuit against a Missouri-based construction company

Post Date: 02/25/2026 2:58 PM NEWS RELEASE

# **Kobach Sues Out-of-State Tree Trimming Company for Exploiting Elderly Consumers** TOPEKA – (February 25, 2026) – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a civil lawsuit against a Missouri-based construction company, its owner and four of its employees for allegedly engaging in aggressive, deceptive, and unconscionable door-to-door sales tactics targeting elderly residents in Manhattan, Kansas.

The lawsuit, filed in Riley County District Court, names M.GC Construction LLC; its owner Nathan Leavy; and four of its employees as defendants. The State alleges the defendants violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) and the Kansas Door-to-Door Sales Act by failing to provide mandatory cancellation notices and charging exorbitant prices for minimal work.

“My office will not tolerate predatory businesses that target our senior citizens,” Kobach said. “We are taking action to ensure they are held personally accountable and are barred from conducting door-to-door sales in Kansas.”

The petition outlines a scheme where defendants solicited tree-trimming services door-to-door without the required municipal permits from the City of Manhattan in early 2025. According to the petition, the defendants pressured consumers to write checks to them personally rather than to the business. This tactic was allegedly used to cash checks immediately at local banks, preventing consumers from issuing stop-payment orders once they realized they had been scammed.

In one instance, a 75-year-old consumer was charged a total of $31,000 for tree work that a local arborist later valued at approximately $4,500. The defendants are accused of failing to provide consumers with the legally required verbal and written notice of their three-day right to cancel the transaction, which is statutorily required in all door-to-door sales.

The lawsuit seeks civil penalties as well as enhanced penalties for violations committed against protected consumers. The Attorney General is also seeking a permanent injunction that would ban all five individually named defendants, not just the company, from ever engaging in door-to-door sales in Kansas again.

Consumers who believe they have been victimized by M.GC Construction LLC or similar door-to-door schemes are encouraged to file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office at www.ag.ks.gov or by calling 1-800-432-2310.

A copy of the petition is available here.

Return to full list >> News releases issued prior to 2023 are available through an archive hosted by the Kansas State Library.