Some unlicensed operators deliberately target trusting and vulnerable people
The lure of easy money led a dozen unlicensed operators to a sting operation conducted by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) in Orinda on May 18 and 19, 2010. The two-day operation included support from the Orinda Police Department and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.
Members of CSLB’s Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) posed as homeowners and took bids on home improvement projects that included tree trimming and warm-air heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC). When the suspects bid more than $500, they were given a Notice to Appear (NTA) in court for contracting without a license. California Business and Professions Code (B&P) requires that home improvement jobs valued at $500 or more for labor and materials to be performed by a state-licensed contractor. One contractor picked up at the sting will receive an administrative citation for contracting with an expired license.
Homeowners seldom realize the risks of hiring illegal operators. Phony contractors rarely have a contractor license bond or workers’ compensation insurance. A worker who is hurt on the job could seek medical reimbursement or other damages from the homeowner. Homeowners also have little recourse for poor workmanship, incomplete work or other financial damage when they use a person that does not have a license bond, which is a standard requirement for CSLB-licensed contractors.
“Some unlicensed operators deliberately target trusting and vulnerable people,” said CSLB Registrar Steve Sands. “They might take your money and be gone without completing the work before you realize what’s happened, which may force you to pay twice just to get the job completed.”