Unlicensed Contractors Caught in CA

Although unlicensed contractors can be penalized, there are no penalties for the people who knowingly or unknowingly hire them. Unlicensed contractors are primarily a liability for anyone who hires them, Stromberg said, because they usually don?EUR??,,????'?????<

 

In Cambria, California, after a two-day sting operation, 24 people were busted for landscaping without a contractor?EUR??,,????'?????<

Members of the local landscapers association who complained that the unlicensed contractors were underbidding and stealing work from licensed contractors prompted the San Luis Obispo County sting, spokeswoman Venus Stromberg said.

Unlicensed contractors are allowed to work on jobs that run less than $500. However, if they take out an ad they are required to state they are unlicensed and if hired can only charge a 10 percent down payment or $1,000, whichever is less. Some of those who were caught in the sting had advertisements and were contacted; others were simply suspected by members of the landscapers association and called to a house in Cambria to work on a fake job. When they arrived at the house, if the unlicensed contractors committed a violation?EUR??,,????'?????<

Source: Colin Rigley, newtimesslo.com.