Sandy scams expected to rise with rebuilding
By David P. Willis, Asbury Park Press, N.J. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
"I actually expect that those complaints will continue to come in or will increase as rebuilding continues," said
People with destroyed or damaged homes are getting money from grants and insurance companies. They've been working with contractors and plans, figuring out how high they need to raise their homes.
"Contractors are going to be hired and contractors are going to be doing work for the foreseeable future," Lee said. "I don't expect the numbers to go down anytime soon."
The consumers affairs division receives more than 1,000 complaints about home improvement contractors each year and many of them are Sandy-related.
And they are not alone.
How to protect Sandy survivors from con artists
More than last year
What are people upset about? Some fraudsters have taken deposits and not done work. Fried echoed the complaint: "I paid this home improvement contractor money and never heard from them again."
Homeowners are complaining of contractors not finishing the job or doing shoddy work, said
Don't get scammed on that generator purchase
And people may also find that their contractor is running out of excuses, Anton said. A delay may have been blamed on a need to find out information a home elevation or the need to follow some other requirements. "Now they are realizing finally that they are getting ripped off," Anton said.
Consumer watchdogs also are going after contractors who are not registered under the New Jersey Home Improvement Contractors Registration Act, a requirement to do business in the Garden State.
Cops: Man set fire to his own Sandy-damaged home
Busy law enforcement
Law enforcement has been busy. Here are some examples of their work over the past year.
--In April,
--In July, a grand jury in
--In May, the state
--In August,
EconoLodge in
Do you have a consumer problem that needs solving? Contact
DON'T GET SCAMMED
--Work with a contractor who is recommended by people you know. Ask for references.
--Contact the state
--Before hiring, demand a copy of the contractor's liability insurance policy and check with the insurer to make sure it's valid.
--Obtain a written contract. Contracts for jobs costing
--Don't pay all at once. The general practice is pay one-third up front, one-third halfway through and one-third upon completion.
Source:
___
(c)2014 the Asbury Park Press (Neptune, N.J.)
Visit the Asbury Park Press (Neptune, N.J.) at www.app.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Wordcount: | 832 |
Sandy-Damaged Homes Rebuilt Higher And Stronger
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News