Home Improvement Contractors Busted;

Caught In Operation Spring Sting

HARTFORD — Working as an unregistered home improvement in Connecticut is bad business — and hiring is a bad decision. That was the message sent by Consumer Protection Commissioner Edwin R. Rodriguez on June 7 as he announced the results of a ten-week sting operation that caught 115 home improvement contractors who had either failed to register with the Department of Consumer Protection, or who violated other requirements of the state’s Home Improvement Act.

“The law requires home improvement contractors to register and follow contain procedures for a reason — to protect homeowners,” said Mr Rodriguez, “We are not trying to prevent people from making a living; we’re just making sure that they’re making an honest living. This includes complying with state laws that assure consumers a level of financial protection.

“Contractors who ignore the law are unfairly competing with those who take the time to register and abide by the law, and that is also a concern,” he continued. “But our main purpose in this enforcement effort is to protect the integrity of the marketplace and safeguard consumers from contractors who would exploit them for financial gain.”

The Department’s Trade Practices investigators set up their undercover operation in March at a house at 1020 West Main Street in Waterbury. The house was provided by the State Department of Transportation. Home improvement contractors who advertised their services were invited by undercover Home Improvement Special to bid on various projects.

The contractors toured the sting house, met with investigators who were posing as homeowners, and offered contracts for painting, kitchen remodeling, siding, roof and window installation, landscaping and more. Four of the 115 individuals found in violation of Connecticut home improvement laws were from out of state. The remainder were from towns across Connecticut, including but not limited to: Ansonia, Barkhamsted, Berlin, Bristol, Canton, Cheshire, Coventry, Danbury, Fairfield Glastonbury, Hartford, Litchfield, Madison, Meriden, Naugatuck, New Britain, New Haven, New Milford, Orange, Plainville, Prospect, Seymour, Simsbury, South Windsor, Terryville, Thomaston, Vernon, Waterbury, Winchester, Windsor, Wolcott, Woodbridge, and Woodbury.

In all 78 contractors were unregistered. The remaining 37 were cited for various violations of the Home Improvement Act or the Home Sales solicitation Act.

“Home improvement complains rank as the top consumer complaint in Connecticut and elsewhere across the country,” Mr Rodriguez said. “While home improvements themselves can be expensive, any problems that arise often cost consumers thousands more to fix. Unfortunately, there have been many cases where a homeowner is left with a huge problem and has no financial means of getting it repaired.”

A home improvement contractor is defined as anyone who performs improvements on residential property in Connecticut when the individual job exceeds job exceeds $200 and when the cash price of all work performed in one year is more than $1,000. All home improvement contractors — including roofers, addition and remodeling contractors, driveway pavers, and persons who install fences, siding, insulations, windows, masonry, and underground fuel storage tanks — must be registered with the Department of Consumer Protection.

“Registration actually provides valuable protection for homeowners,” Mr Rodriquez said. “Our agency administers the Home Improvement Guaranty Fund that can provide victimized consumer with restitution, but only if they used a registered contractor. Because registration is quick and easy, there’s no reason for a contractor to avoid the law, and no reason for a homeowner to work with someone who is not registered.”

Under Connecticut law a consumer who suffers construction damage or problem as a result of work done by a registered home improvement contractor may qualify for the Home Improvement Guaranty Fund, which can return up to $15,000 in restitution per contract. The fund paid out $2.5 million to consumers in 2005.

Mr Rodriguez offered these additional tips for selecting and working with a home improvement contractor:

éNever agree to unsolicited, on-the-spot offers. This is the time of year when unregistered and unscrupulous contractors may show up at your door, offering to give you a low price for a driveway because they have “leftover materials” from another job, or a low-price chimney cleaning that quickly turns into hundreds of dollars of repairs.

éGet at least three bids and make sure they all include the same details, such as quality of materials, size of the project, and time frames.

éConfirm the contractor’s registration before agreeing to any work and certainly before making any payments; call DCP at 860-713-6110 go online to www.ct.gov.

éCheck references; really check them. Contact former customers, a local building official, and anyone else who is knowledgeable of the contractors being considered.

éBy law, all home improvement contracts must be in writing, must contain all details of the job, and bear the contractor’s registration numbers. In addition, the contract must give homeowners three days to cancel.

Never allow the contractor to persuade you into forfeiting this right. This is your “cooling off” period, a time to assesses the contract, especially if you feel you signed it under pressure.

éBe sure the contract includes a payment schedule that roughly parallels the program of the work, perhaps breaking the bill in quarters. Do not pay a lot of money up front and never pay cash.

éCheck with local building officials to be sure the contractor has taken out all necessary permits.

éMake sure persons hired to do plumbing and electrical work hold the appropriate Connecticut license. This license is separate from the Home Improvement registration.

“Hiring an unregistered contractor could cost you dearly, as thousands of homeowners in Connecticut will find out this year when their projects don’t meet expectations,” cautioned Mr Rodriguez. “Contractors who don’t register are committing a criminal offense. Don’t put your dreams and hard-earned dollars in the hands of someone who is careless about his legal responsibility to the state; he may be careless with you as well.”

The DCP will continue its enforcement of the Home Improvement Act in Connecticut. Consumers with questions or concerns about their home improvement contractor or contracted work may call the Department of Consumer Protection at 860-713-6110.