AG files suit over pellet company

WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Hundreds of wood pellet customers were left out in the cold this past winter when a pellet company failed to deliver them the pellets. After the 22News I-Team broke the story, State Attorney General Martha Coakley filed a lawsuit.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has already sued the Enfield based company. On Wednesday night Attorney General Martha Coakley was also fighting for the rights of 194 people who paid for a promise of pellets that were never delivered.

Courtney LaMountain is one of nearly 200 area customers still trying to figure out exactly how much cash she lost to New England Pellet Llc. of Enfield, Connecticut. The company failed to deliver three out of four tons of pellets she ordered this past winter, so far she's out well over a grand. "This is definitely a scam, especially with the customer service that was centered around this, their response and lack of responses, when you did talk to them, they were completely rude, just totally brushed it off, and continued to not respond," said LaMountain.

She was happy to hear Martha Coakley's now on the same page as Connecticut's attorney general. Both are suing the company for a total of $139,000 in damages.

Even though the LaMountain family recently updated their heating system with a new pellet stove, they ended up spending more than double what they expected to pay for the '08-'09 heating season because they had to use a 1960's era oil furnace. "At that point it was cheaper to heat with oil than to re-buy pellets at a more expensive price," said LaMountain.

On Wednesday night 22News paid a visit to New England Pellet Llc. Owner Jason Tynan's home at 60 Stoney Hill Road in East Longmeadow. Tynan's girlfriends' son assured 22News he would get out the message to the company's head.

When 22News was able to get Tynan on the phone, he said:  "We have a major lawsuit against our supplier and you can talk to my attorney."

Tynan's attorney however was not available for comment.