Philadelphia Salvage Co. agrees to $20,000 settlement for restoration work it didn’t complete
The now-defunct formerly beloved company also cannot conduct future work in the restoration business.
Defunct restoration company Philadelphia Salvage Co. has agreed to a settlement requiring the company to pay back more than $20,000 in refunds for unfinished work, and not conduct future operations in the restoration business.
The company agreed to those stipulations as part of a settlement with the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General in a lawsuit filed in December. The company took on tens of thousands of dollars in restoration work for items ranging from antique doors to furniture that it was not able to complete, and has been out of business since September 2023, court documents indicate.
“This settlement will help recoup costs for consumers who paid significant sums to restore cherished heirloom and antique items,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a statement. “I encourage anyone who feels they may have been victimized by Philadelphia Salvage to contact my office as soon as possible to be considered for restitution.”
Christopher Stock, the owner of Philadelphia Salvage Co., did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Stock’s name and signature appear on the settlement paperwork.
The suit filed by Sunday’s office in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas alleged that Philadelphia Salvage took deposits for restoration work worth at least $20,423, which it now must pay back. In September 2023, the company announced it would close, and said it would return items awaiting restoration in “their current condition,” according to court documents.
Philadelphia Salvage faced complaints from customers who claimed that the business bilked them of deposits sometimes amounting to thousands of dollars, including claims for historic doors and custom hardware, The Inquirer reported in 2023. The company, some complaints said, was unresponsive to inquiries about the status of their restorations.
The business, Stock told The Inquirer in September 2023, had gone bankrupt because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent staffing shortages. Founded in 2011, Philadelphia Salvage Co. was beloved by many customers, landing on several high-profile lists for antiquing fans, including ones from Philadelphia magazine and Curbed Philly.
Stock said the company had attempted to “recuperate from the chaos” the pandemic wrought, but was unable to do so. He added that “this outcome was never my intention.”
Per the attorney general’s office, the company will pay back what it owes to customers, and the funds will be allocated based on customer complaints received by the state. Additional restitution may be forthcoming.
The company, the attorney general’s office said, can’t conduct future business in the household item restoration industry, and cannot collect deposits or down payments for services to be delivered at a later date.
The attorney general’s office urged customers impacted by Philadelphia Salvage to file complaints through Aug. 24 to be eligible for restitution.
