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NEWARK
– To prepare for spring, the peak
season for home improvement work, the State
Division of Consumer Affairs last week launched
a proactive effort to seek out unregistered
home improvement contractors, and warn them
to get into compliance with the law –
or face fines up to $10,000 each.
Under
New Jersey’s Contractors’ Registration
Act, home improvement contractors must register
with the state and obtain a registration
number that begins “13VH …”
Contractors must display that number on
their signage, including signs on commercial
vehicles, as a reference for consumers.
To register, a home improvement contractor
must provide proof of liability insurance
and disclose a legitimate business address.
Complaints
about dishonest or shoddy home improvement
contractors are the second-most common type
of complaint the State Division of Consumer
Affairs received from consumers in 2010,
representing 1,401 of the 13,761 consumer
complaints the Division received.
“Each
year, phony contractors and unregistered
contractors rip off hundreds of New Jersey
consumers, leaving them on the hook for
as little as $200 to as much as $100,000
or more. When contractors register with
the state, they provide consumers with a
valuable tool that helps them learn about
the company’s background and make
an informed choice before letting a contractor
into their home,” Attorney General
Paula T. Dow said.
The
undercover effort announced today, which
includes using a pickup truck disguised
as a home improvement contractor’s
truck, represents a fresh, aggressive approach
to addressing the problems posed by the
thousands of New Jersey contractors who
refuse to register with the State. State
Consumer Affairs investigators, in tandem
with county and municipal Consumer Affairs
investigators, are scouting the parking
lots of home improvement stores, hardware
stores, and other places across the state
where contractors congregate, seeking out
those who advertise that they perform home
improvement work but fail to display a state
registration number.
“We’re
going on the offensive,” said Thomas
R. Calcagni, Acting Director of the State
Division of Consumer Affairs. “In
the past, we would take action against the
unregistered contractor only as consumer
complaints were received. No longer. Now,
we’re taking the fight to them. If
you are a home improvement contractor, and
you’re operating outside of the law,
we’re coming after you. And if you
don’t fall in line, you’ll pay.”
Since
the undercover operation began March 2,
investigators issued warnings to 54 contractors
in Essex, Gloucester, Morris and Warren
counties. State Consumer Affairs investigators
worked in partnership with the Gloucester
and Essex County Offices of Consumer Affairs.
In each case, the contractor advertised
for home improvement work with signs on
a commercial vehicle, but failed to display
the “13VH” number that proves
the contractor is registered. With each
warning, contractors were ordered to get
into compliance – by registering with
the state if they were not already registered,
or by displaying their number on the signage
if they were registered – within 30
days or face fines up to $10,000 each.
Home
improvement contractors who have yet to
register with the State, are urged to do
so immediately by using the materials available
at www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/HIC/HIC_application.htm.
Consumers
looking to hire a home improvement contractor
can check the online database of all approximately
43,000 registered home improvement contractors
statewide at www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/LVinfo.htm.
National
Consumer Protection Week (NCPW)
is a coordinated campaign that encourages
consumers nationwide to take full advantage
of their consumer rights and make better-informed
decisions. NCPW 2011 takes place March 6
through 12, 2011.
More
information designed to help consumers protect
themselves is offered free of charge at
the State Division of Consumer Affairs NCPW
website at www.njconsumeraffairs.gov.
Information is also available at the official
National Consumer Awareness Week website,
www.NCPW.gov.
Consumers
who believe they have been cheated or scammed
by a business, or suspect any other form
of consumer abuse, can file a complaint
with the State Division of Consumer Affairs
by visiting its website, www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov,
or by calling 1-800-242-5846
(toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504-6200.
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