Lizzy Ittel of Portage County is just one of 19 people from across Northeast Ohio who filed complaints through the Attorney General's office against a company called "Elysium Construction & Consulting LLC" based in Trumbull County, which had only been in business since the summer of 2020.

Ittel claims she paid owner, Scott Stoner, $15,000 to fix her home in May of 2021.

"The siding work was never completed and the letter from the insurance company said it's going to be $15,000 dollars because they said they paid out, and 'It's my money and it's my problem,'" she said. 

Ittel is not the only one. Homeowners across the Valley filed complaints just within the past eight weeks.

One New Waterford man said he's owed $8,400 dollars, a Hubbard woman claims a loss of $3,710 dollars, and a Youngstown man reports he's owed $4,672 dollars back.

All three cited either "poor service" or "failure to deliver product or service."

Before any action could be taken to try to get their money back, Stoner died of complications from COVID-19.

Mahoning County Probate Judge Robert Rusu said if anyone is hoping for a refund, they may be out of luck. 

He said for there to be any chance, there are several hurdles.

First, the company needs to have the money.

"In this particular situation... this gentleman may have only had debt only," Rusu said, "So, no estate administration is probably going to be opened because there's nothing to transfer."

If Stoner had enough personal assets, homeowners could file a claim, but it gets more complicated.

That's because the company is an LLC. That means that in most cases, the owner's personal assets are completely protected under Ohio law. Rusu said there have been exceptions, but they're very rare.

"Most of the time these are sole-member LLC's and once the motor dies, everything goes down with it," Rusu said. 

Even if there is money to recover, Ohio law makes it clear who gets paid first. 

Landing on top: paying for the funeral, family allowances and taxes with several other debts listed before these homeowners would have a shot at recovering their money.

So is there any hope that they could still get their money? 

Rusu said, "Chances are, probably not."

"It's a lot of money and I'm sorry his family has to deal with his passing," Ittel said, "But we need paid too. We need paid back," Ittel said. 

Rusu said anyone trying to get their money should consult with a lawyer, who can look into Stoner's assets and decipher whether filing a claim is possible. This needs to be done within six months after the individual's death.