My Solar Installer Is Gone: Who Can Help? (It's the Lender!)

Hey folks, Tall Chuck here. One of the loneliest feelings a homeowner can have is staring at a disconnected phone number, a dead website, and a half-finished solar job — and then watching that monthly loan bill roll in like nothing happened.

Here's what most people miss from up here: the lender demanding your money may be the most powerful weapon you have against the installer who wronged you. Let me show you how to turn the tables.

The Lender-Installer Handshake

You might think the installer and the lender are two totally separate companies. On paper, they are. But in reality, they are partners in a business deal.

Many solar lenders have a "Dealer Agreement" with their installers. A legitimate lender requires the installer to complete the job and get the customer's sign-off before releasing final payment. A predatory lender might not be so careful — and that carelessness is exactly where your leverage lives.

The lender-installer relationship is the engine behind the fraud. It's also your path to accountability.

GoodLeap and Sunlight Financial: Bennett Legal Is Taking Cases Now

If your loan is through GoodLeap or Sunlight Financial — two of the largest and most complained-about solar lenders in the country — Bennett Legal is actively taking cases right now.

These aren't fringe companies with a handful of bad reviews. State attorneys general across the country are investigating and suing them for the same practices their installer partners used on you. What looks like one family's nightmare is actually a documented national pattern.

When four states are investigating the same lenders for the same conduct, it tells you something: this isn't bad luck. It's a business model. And the homeowner — you — is the one left holding the bill.

We're currently accepting GoodLeap and Sunlight Financial cases. Tell us what happened →

The Big Trap: The FTC Holder Rule and Your Rights

Here's a piece of law that every person with a solar loan needs to know. It's a federal regulation called the FTC Holder Rule.

In plain talk, the Holder Rule says that if you are paying for a product with a loan, the lender is subject to the same legal claims you have against the seller. This means that if the installer committed fraud, breached their contract, or disappeared, you can legally make those same claims against the lender.

The lender cannot just wash their hands of the problem and say, "Not our fault, just pay us." They have legally stepped into the shoes of the installer.

This rule is your silver bullet.

Not sure if the Holder Rule applies to your situation? Get a free case evaluation →

Your Playbook: How to Use the Lender as Leverage

⚠️ Before You Start: You Need a Lawyer in Your Corner Solar contracts are intentionally complex. The exact language, delivery method, and timing of your FTC Holder Rule notice can make or break your case — and a mistake can be used against you. This playbook is here to educate you, not replace legal counsel. Don't do this alone.

Get a free case evaluation before you send anything →

Step 1: Stop All Automatic Payments (But Don't Go Silent)

• Contact your bank and stop any automatic payments to the solar lender
• Do not just stop paying cold — that damages your credit without any legal protection
• Move to Step 2 within 24 hours of stopping payments

Step 2: Send a Formal "FTC Holder Rule" Notice

• Send a formal letter via certified mail to the lender's legal department — not customer service
• State the installer's name and the specific ways they breached the contract (e.g., "system never activated," "failed city inspection," "project abandoned")
• Include this language: "Because the seller has breached our contract, we are formally asserting our rights under the FTC Holder Rule, 16 C.F.R. Part 433. All claims and defenses we have against the seller apply to you, the lender. We will be withholding all future payments until the breach of contract is cured."
• Keep copies of everything — the certified mail receipt, the letter, and every response you receive

Step 3: Demand Proof of Project Completion

• In your letter, demand the lender produce the "Certificate of Completion" — the document the installer submitted to collect their final payment
• If you never signed that document, you have powerful evidence on your side
• If your signature was forged on it, that's fraud — and the lender may share liability for processing it

💡 Pro Tip from Tall Chuck: A legitimate lender will take this letter very seriously. They have two choices: go after the installer themselves — because they have far more power than you do — or risk you suing them in court. A shady lender will try to bully you with collection calls. Don't fall for it. Once you assert your Holder Rule rights in writing, the game changes.

Ready to put the lender on notice? Talk to a solar fraud attorney →

When the Lender Becomes the Target

• They Can't Ruin Your Credit (If You Do It Right): When you formally dispute a debt in writing, the lender cannot just report you as "delinquent" without noting the account is "in dispute."
• They Have the Power to Fix It: The lender has a legal and financial relationship with the installer and can often compel them to act — or recover losses themselves.
• You Have a Real Company to Sue: It's hard to sue a solar company that has disappeared or gone bankrupt. But the lender is a real, operational financial institution with assets and a legal obligation to respond.
• There May Be a Lien on Your Home: When you took out a solar loan, the lender likely filed a UCC-1 lien on your property. If your system never worked, that lien needs to come off — and we know how to make that happen.

🏆 Real Talk: We Just Won $170,000 Fighting a Solar Lender

One of our clients had your exact situation — installer gone, system installed but never turned on, lender billing every month for a system sitting dead on her roof. We took Sunlight Financial to arbitration and forced them to answer for it.

$113,000 loan cancelled · Lien removed from her home · Credit repaired · $58,000 cash in her pocket.

This is what happens when the bank knows you have a real attorney in your corner.

Read the full case →

When Your Installer Disappears, We Make the Bank Listen

At Bennett Legal, we draft and send powerful Holder Rule notices that the lender's legal department cannot ignore. We stop illegal collection activities, file lawsuits against the lender for the installer's fraud, and negotiate resolutions where the lender either pays to fix the system or cancels your loan entirely.

Your installer may be gone. But the lender isn't. And that's exactly who we go after.

Start Your Free Case Evaluation →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the FTC Holder Rule?

A federal regulation that says the ultimate holder of a loan (the lender) is subject to all the legal claims and defenses that the borrower (the homeowner) has against the seller (the solar installer). If the installer committed fraud or abandoned the job, you can bring those same claims against the lender.

Can I really stop paying my solar loan if the installer disappeared?

You should never just silently stop paying. You should first send a formal, written notice to the lender invoking your rights under the FTC Holder Rule and stating that you are withholding payment due to a specific breach of contract. An attorney can help you do this correctly.

Will using the Holder Rule hurt my credit?

If you properly document the dispute in writing, you have protections under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The lender should mark the account as "in dispute," which is much less damaging than a standard "delinquent" mark. However, fighting a lender always carries some risk, which is why having an attorney matters.

Does this apply to solar leases or PPAs?

The FTC Holder Rule specifically applies to credit-based transactions (loans). However, many states have similar consumer protection laws that apply to leases and PPAs. If the leasing company is making you pay for a broken or incomplete system, you still have legal arguments — talk to us.

What if the lender just ignores my letter?

If the lender ignores your formal dispute and continues with collection actions or negative credit reporting, it's time to sue them. Their failure to acknowledge your Holder Rule rights is itself a serious legal violation — and a strong foundation for a lawsuit.