• Don’t rush into decisions and don’t hire the first contractor who comes along;• Be especially hesitant when approached by someone offering home improvement services door-to-door, especially when they will use material they claim is left over from another job;• Verify the contractor’s license by checking online at www.cslb.ca.gov, or via CSLB’s automated phone service at 1-800-321-CSLB (2752);• Get three bids, check references, and a written contract;• Never pay more than 10 percent down or $1,000, whichever is less;• Don’t pay cash, and don’t let the payments get ahead of the work already completed;• Contact the CSLB if you have a complaint against a contractor.Homeowners victimized by unlicensed contractors may be able to recover the entire amount paid to such contractors.The Contractors State License Board operates under the umbrella of the California Department of Consumer Affairs. The CSLB licenses and regulates California’s 299,000 contractors, and investigates more than 20,000 complaints against contractors annually. In fiscal year 2004-05, the CSLB helped consumers obtain more than $36 million in restitution.
“Sting” operation targets illegal contractors
March 14, 2007
Santa Paula News
District Attorney Gregory D. Totten has announced that on February 14 and 15, 2007, a combined law enforcement team, composed of investigators from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation, the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), and the Ventura Police Department conducted a “sting” operation against illegal contractors operating in Ventura County.
District Attorney Gregory D. Totten has announced that on February 14 and 15, 2007, a combined law enforcement team, composed of investigators from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation, the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), and the Ventura Police Department conducted a “sting” operation against illegal contractors operating in Ventura County.Members of the CSLB’s Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) posed as homeowners at a house near Ventura’s Ocean Avenue Park and invited suspected unlicensed contractors to bid on various home improvement projects that included landscaping, kitchen remodeling, concrete work, roofing and painting.The two-day sting resulted in 33 unlicensed operators being ordered to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on misdemeanor charges for contracting without a license, for advertising violations, and for demanding excessive down payments. First-time convictions carry a maximum of six months in jail or a $1,000 fine, or both. After court-imposed assessments, the first-time fine could be as much as $3,300. A second violation carries a mandatory 90-day jail sentence and a minimum $4,500 fine. After penalty assessments, the minimum second-time fine would be $14,850.By law, all contractors who perform work that totals $500 or more (including labor and materials) must be licensed by the CSLB. Licensing provides for at least minimum standards of competency and business knowledge. In addition, anyone licensed by the CSLB after January 1, 2005 first undergoes a complete background check by the Department of Justice before being given a license.According to CSLB Registrar Steve Sands, “You want to make sure you hire the right person. Because many unlicensed operators don’t comply with the workers compensation and contractors bonding laws, they are often able to submit lower bids on jobs. But, if one of their workers is injured on the job, the homeowner could be found liable for his/her medical treatment. And, if a deal goes bad with an unlicensed contractor, the homeowner has very few options.”The CSLB conducts sting operations around the state on a regular basis to highlight the dangers to consumers who hire unlicensed workers, and to enforce California laws prohibiting unlicensed contracting. In this operation, investigators were targeting repeat offenders, subjects of complaints, and blatant violators of advertising law. Validly licensed contractors are required to include their license number on their advertisements in California. Unlicensed contractors, advertising for work, need to announce that they are unlicensed on their advertisement.Licensed contractors may request a down payment of no more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the total value of a home improvement project before starting, whichever is less. Once the project has begun, the legitimate contractor is not allowed to demand payment for more than the work already completed.Before hiring any contractor, homeowners should go online or call CSLB’s automated phone system to verify that the contractor holds a valid license. They can also check out the contractor’s license history, get Contractors’ Bonding, Workers Compensation Insurance, and personnel information.District Attorney Totten urges consumers to follow these tips when dealing with a building contractor:• Hire only licensed contractors and ask to see the license;
