Contractors license board cites 32 in Coachella Valley sting operation
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According to a press release from the California State Contractors License Board:
"The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and partners from the Palm Springs Police Department and the Riverside County District Attorney's Office are warning Coachella Valley residents to be aware before hiring people for home improvement projects. The warning comes after a two-day undercover operation in the Warm Springs area of Palm Springs led to the arrest of 32 suspected phony contractors."
Earlier this month, "members of CSLB's Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) posed as homeowners at a sting house and invited suspected unlicensed operators to bid on projects including landscaping, fencing, concrete, swimming pool plastering and decking, flooring and painting. When suspects bid more than $500 for a job they were arrested and given a Notice to Appear (NTA) in Riverside County Superior Court to answer misdemeanor charges of contracting without a license. California law requires a state contractor's license for home improvement jobs that are valued at $500 or more in labor and materials."
Also: "28 of the suspects will also face a misdemeanor charge of illegal advertising. CSLB investigators also gave administrative citations to 26 suspects. Those carry total potential civil penalties of $46,750. One of those arrested is a three-time offender. Another was a repeat offender. Several suspects showed up without a valid drivers' license and had to arrange for someone to pick them up."
According to CSLB Registrar Steve Sands, "Unlicensed operators will often underbid legitimate contractors. It is not unusual for these individuals to have other run-ins with the law and not be qualified to do the work they are hired for. Homeowners may end up paying twice for a job when they have to hire a professional to fix the problem."
Speaks volumes; now, all these people go back to
hanging out in the Home Depot parking lot until their
court date?
Posted by: yours truly, Johnny Dollar | May 20, 2008 at 06:21 AM
or, is this a brilliant marketing campaign for the release
of the movie, "A Decade Without a Mexican" on DVD?
Posted by: yours truly, Johnny Dollar | May 20, 2008 at 02:57 PM