Dallas, Dallas County & North Texas
Dallas Solar Panel Fraud Lawyer
A solar loan payment, an electric bill, and no savings?
You were told the panels would pay for themselves. They did not.
Now there is a loan payment every month. The electric bill is still there. And the solar company that sold you the system has stopped calling back.
Bennett Legal is a Dallas law firm that handles solar financing fraud cases. Our office is on Coit Road in North Dallas. We read solar contracts and loan papers, and we can tell you what yours say.
The first review is free. Bring what you have.
$170,000+ recovered for one client in a past Sunlight Financial solar loan case. Every case is different, and no result is guaranteed. How that case ended.
Start where you are
Which of these sounds like you?
Sound familiar?
What Dallas homeowners tell us
- You pay a solar loan and an electric bill, and the savings never came.
- The panels went up, but nobody ever told you the system was approved to run.
- The installer stopped answering, or went out of business.
- A signature on the loan does not look like yours, or you never saw the loan papers.
- A salesperson said the panels were free, or that you could cancel any time.
- You were told a tax credit would pay down the loan, and it never did.
- Your roof started leaking after the panels went in, and no one will fix it.
- A filing showed up when you tried to sell or refinance your home.
If one of these is you, the next step is the same: find out what your papers actually say.
Before anything else
This is not your fault
Many people we talk to feel embarrassed. They signed, so they think they should have known.
A solar sales pitch can be confusing, fast and high-pressure. The salesperson does the math on a tablet. The loan is signed on a screen, often in a few taps. The real numbers are on pages you may never have seen. You trusted a person standing at your door. That is not a mistake.
If you were told something that was not true, the problem is what you were told, not that you believed it.
Quick answers
What most people ask first
Can I get out of a solar loan in Dallas?
Sometimes. It depends on what your solar panel contract says, what you were told, and whether the work was ever finished. Texas gives you five business days to cancel most home solar agreements signed on or after September 1, 2025. After that, the question is whether you have a legal claim. We read your papers and tell you which applies to you.
Read the full guideDo I have to come to your office?
No. Most reviews start by phone or online. If you would rather meet in person, our office is on Coit Road in North Dallas, and we meet by appointment.
What does a review cost?
Nothing. The first review is free, and you are not committing to anything.
Permission to Operate
Was your Dallas system ever approved to run?
A solar system is not finished when the panels are on the roof. In Dallas, Oncor runs the power lines. If Oncor delivers your power, it has to approve your system before it is allowed to run.
That approval comes in writing. Oncor calls it a Permission to Operate letter, and it sends one to you and one to the installer. Oncor says that running a system before that letter can break its rules and Texas utility rules.
What a finished Dallas job looks like
- 01You or your installer apply to Oncor online. Usually the installer does this and has you sign the application.
- 02Oncor reviews the system.
- 03Everyone named in the Interconnection Agreement signs it. That is the contract to connect your system to Oncor's lines.
- 04Oncor sends a Permission to Operate letter to you and to the installer.
- 05Oncor reprograms your meter, usually within about three weeks.
Find out where your job stopped
Go through these questions. A “no” to any of them means your job may never have been finished. Your loan payments may have started anyway.
- Did you sign an Oncor interconnection application?
- Did you sign an Interconnection Agreement with Oncor?
- Did you get a Permission to Operate letter from Oncor?
- Was your meter reprogrammed?
- Was the system switched on after that letter, not before?
Not sure? Oncor says you can call 866-728-3674 to check the status of an interconnection application. Write down the date and what you are told.
A missing Permission to Operate letter does not cancel a loan by itself. But Oncor’s records can show what was done, and when. In a dispute, that can matter a great deal.
A common sales line
“Oncor will pay you for the extra power”
Some homeowners are told the utility will buy back their extra solar power. That is not how it works here.
- Oncor does not pay solar credits. It says so on its own website.
- If Oncor delivers your power, any payment for extra power comes from the company that sends your electric bill, under your plan.
- That company does not have to buy your extra power at all, and some plans do not.
If your savings were worked out on the promise that Oncor would pay you, that promise is worth showing to a lawyer. Bring the sales sheet or tablet screenshots if you have them.
The permit file
Was the work ever permitted?
If your home is inside Dallas city limits, a rooftop solar system needs a building permit and an electrical permit. The City takes both on one application, with plans sealed by a licensed engineer.
You can check your own address. The City’s permit records are on DallasNow, and you do not need an account to search.
- 01Open DallasNow and search building records by your street address.
- 02Look for a record called Residential Solar/PV Permit, or a building or electrical permit from around the time the panels went up.
- 03Open it to see its status. Take a screenshot with the date.
DallasNow started in May 2025. For a system installed before then, look on the City’s separate permit map.
Live in Plano, Garland, Irving, Richardson or another nearby city? Your own city handles permits, not Dallas. We can find out which one did.
A missing permit does not cancel a loan by itself. But the City’s records can show what was done, and when.
Door-to-door sales in Dallas
The salesperson at your door had rules to follow
Inside Dallas, most people selling door to door need a certificate of registration from the Dallas Police Department. That is under the City’s home solicitation rules, Chapter 42 of the Dallas City Code. Those rules also say:
- The salesperson must wear a photo ID badge where you can see it, and show it if you ask.
- Visits are allowed only from 9 a.m. to sunset, Monday through Saturday. Not on Sundays or certain holidays.
- If you posted a “No Solicitors” sign, an uninvited salesperson should not knock.
- A salesperson must leave when you ask.
The rules have exceptions, for example when you invited the visit. If you remember the salesperson’s name, badge or company, write it down now.
Who holds your loan
The installer may be gone. The loan is not.
In most solar sales, the company that installed the panels and the company that lent you the money are different. When an installer closes, the loan usually keeps going. That is why the loan papers matter as much as the contract.
We take solar cases involving these lenders. Find yours to see what we look for:
Not sure who holds your loan? Call us, and we will help you find out.
What happens when you call
Working with a Dallas solar panel attorney: three steps
- 01You tell us what happenedIn your own words, in English or Spanish. It takes about ten minutes.
- 02We read your paperworkThe contract, the loan, and any texts, ads or emails from the salesperson.
- 03We tell you where you standIn plain words: what your papers say, what the records may show, and what your options are.
What to bring
What to bring to a free solar contract review
You do not need all of this. Missing papers are common, and we can often get records you do not have.
- Your solar contract and any add-ons
- Your loan agreement and payment statements
- Texts, emails, ads or brochures from the salesperson
- Electric bills from before and after the panels went up
- Any emails about permits, inspections or turning the system on
- Anything you got about a filing on your property
You are not the only one
How common this is in Dallas County
Top 5
Dallas County is among the five Texas counties with the most solar complaints
Texas Appleseed, 2024 (complaints from 2018 to mid-2024)
818%
Growth in solar complaints to the Texas Attorney General, 2018 to 2023
Texas Appleseed, 2024
172
Solar fraud complaints citing a Dallas County address
Complaint data reported by the Dallas Observer, October 2024
A complaint is a report, not proof. These numbers show how often Texans report solar problems. They prove nothing about any one company or contract.
One homeowner. One solar loan.
Here is what Bennett Legal recovered for one homeowner in a matter against Sunlight Financial.
$113,000
Solar loan cancelled in full
Sunlight Financial
$58,000
Cash paid to our client
Plus full credit repair
$170,000
Total financial recovery
UCC filing released
What Sunlight Financial agreed to:
- Cancel our client's $113,000 solar loan entirely
- Release the UCC filing covering the solar equipment
- Repair her credit
- Pay her $58,000 in cash
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Each case is evaluated individually.
Your attorney
Charles A. Bennett
Attorney · State Bar of Texas No. 24086454
Charles Bennett represents Texas homeowners in solar loan disputes against lenders and installers. He has handled these cases in arbitration and in court. He founded Bennett Legal in Dallas, and the firm’s main office is here.
Most solar disputes are won or lost on documents: the contract, the signature record, and whether the system was ever approved to run.
More about CharlesCommon questions
Suing a solar company, loans and liens: Dallas questions
Solar cases take time. If you hire us, plan not to sell your home for at least 6 to 12 months.
Sometimes. A false promise in a solar sale can support a claim under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Those claims usually must be filed within two years of the false statement, or of when you discovered it or should have. If the work was never finished, there may also be a breach of contract claim. If the company is gone, some claims can still be raised against whoever holds your loan, depending on the loan papers. We will tell you which applies to you.
More detailUsually the loan is with a separate lender, and the lender will still expect payments. But a closed installer does not always end your options. Some claims against the seller can be raised against the company that holds the loan. Whether that applies depends on the loan paperwork. Do not stop paying before you get advice.
More detailA solar UCC filing commonly concerns the equipment; the actual filing and loan documents need review. A filing can slow down a sale or a refinance. We check what was filed, by whom, and whether it should be there.
More detailNot before you get advice. Missed payments can hurt your credit and can give the lender more options against you. Talk to a lawyer first. We will explain your options and their risks.
Yes. We work with homeowners across Dallas County and the nearby counties. Permit and utility records depend on which city handled your home, so we find out which one did.
Yes. We review cases in English and Spanish. Sometimes a solar sale happens in Spanish at the door while the paperwork is in English. That gap can matter.
Where we work
A solar lawyer for Dallas and North Texas
Bennett Legal is based in Dallas and helps homeowners across the country with solar financing disputes. Whether we can assist depends on the state, the agreement and the facts.
In North Texas, we work with homeowners from Irving and Grand Prairie to Mesquite, Garland and Plano. Most of the work is on documents and records.
In Fort Worth or Tarrant County? See our Fort Worth solar panel fraud lawyer page. We talk with people in English and Spanish.
Our Dallas office
A solar panel lawyer near you, in North Dallas
Bennett Legal12770 Coit Rd Suite 720
Dallas, TX 75251
(972) 972-4969
Meetings by appointment
You do not need to visit to start. Most reviews begin by phone or online, and we can meet in person when it helps.
Find out what your solar papers actually say
The first review costs nothing, and you are not committing to anything. Bring what you have, and we will tell you where you stand.
Free review No obligation Consultas en Español
Calling about a parent’s or relative’s solar loan? You can reach out for them.
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Bennett Legal12770 Coit Rd Suite 720
Dallas, TX 75251
(972) 972-4969
Charles A. Bennett, Esq. — Texas State Bar No. 24086454. Principal office: Dallas, Texas.
Consumer complaints and allegations discussed on this page have not necessarily been proven in court. Prior results do not guarantee a similar result in any individual matter. Each solar financing dispute depends on its specific contracts, communications, electronic records, and applicable law. Permit and inspection requirements depend on the property location and the authority having jurisdiction. Solar export and buyback credits vary by retail electricity provider and plan.
Sources: Texas Appleseed, Dimming the Benefits of Residential Solar in Texas (2024); Texas Attorney General complaint data as reported by Texas Appleseed; complaint data reported by the Dallas Observer (October 2024); Oncor Electric Delivery solar and distributed generation interconnection resources; Public Utility Commission of Texas and Power to Choose guidance on selling solar power; City of Dallas Planning and Development solar permit checklist and DallasNow; Dallas City Code Chapter 42 (Home Solicitations); Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1806.