COLUMBUS, OH (WOIO) - As spring officially begins, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is warning Ohioans to be wary of solicitors who offer roofing, driveway paving, or tree trimming services and demand upfront payment.

"Spring is a good time to make home repairs, but it's also a time to watch for scams," DeWine said. "If someone comes to your door offering goods or services, ask for references and take time to think about it. If they pressure you or demand large upfront payments, it could be a scam. Be very careful before handing over your money."

In 2014, the Ohio Attorney General's Office received more than 2,500 complaints about household goods or property improvement. The office also filed 14 civil lawsuits and pursued several criminal cases involving home improvement.

To help Ohioans protect themselves, DeWine encourages consumers to look for signs of a potential home repair scam, including:

Requests for a large down payment. If you have to pay half or more of the total price in advance, be skeptical. Scam artists often try to pressure consumers to make large down payments before any work is started.

Requests for cash payment. Be wary if you are told you must pay in cash versus other forms of payment. If something goes wrong, it will be difficult to recover cash payments.

No notice of your right to cancel. In Ohio, consumers generally have a three-day right to cancel a contract that results from a door-to-door sale. Under the Home Solicitation Sales Act, sellers are required to notify consumers about this right.

Work that will begin immediately. If someone offers to perform work on your home right away, be skeptical. Some traveling scam artists claim they have leftover materials or that they "just happened to be in the neighborhood," but after taking consumers' payments, they leave without doing any work or after doing a poor job.

No written contract or references. If a contractor won't provide you with a written contract detailing the costs, the work to be done, and the start and end dates, consider doing business with someone else. Also be skeptical if a contractor refuses to provide references of past customers.

Consumers who suspect a scam should contact the Ohio Attorney General's Office at 800-282-0515.

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Watch out for spring scams

Father, son arrested in Howard County driveway paving scam
Howard County Police have arrested a father and son and are looking for a third suspect in what they say was a driveway paving scam. http://bit.ly/1Egkjwz.

By: ABC7 WJLA

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Father, son arrested in Howard County driveway paving scam - Video

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Property Manager Hint: Walk the entire parking lot with an estimator and place small paint dots on the outer edges of all cracked areas. Once these have all been sprayed, stand back and create a series of rectangles to encompass the cracked areas. Number and measure each area and note on a site plan.

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The strength of the sub-grade most often is visually measured in a proofroll process. The pavement system is excavated and removed and a loaded truck is slowly driven over the sub-grade. Any significant deflection is marked and measured.

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Parking spaces in an apartment complex with a centralized dumpster in the front of the property would be a good example.

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Asphalt Gauteng - For all your asphalt requirements in ...

A father and son have been arrested and charged in what Howard County police are calling a driveway paving scam that involved four North Laurel residences.

Paul Frank, 48, and his son Spanky Frank, 19, have been charged with four counts each of selling home improvements without a license and acting as a contractor without a license, police said.

A third relative, Ace Frank, 22, is being sought on an arrest warrant for the same charges, police said.

Police said the three Franks reside out of state, but are staying at a residence in the 8600 block of Contee Road in North Laurel.

In February, four homeowners -- three in the 9600 block of Baltimore Avenue, one in the 8600 block of Tower Drive -- were solicited by men later identifiedas Paul, Spanky and Ace Frank, for driveway re-sealing services, police said.

In each case, police said the men charged higher for the agreed-upon price and the work was completed poorly.

Through their investigation, police learned the Franks bought black paint, mixed it with gasoline and then used the mixture to 're-seal' the driveways, police said.

Neither of the three men possesses a contractor license, as required by the State of Maryland, police said.

Spanky Frank was released from the Howard County Detention Center on $2,600 bond. Paul Frank was released on $10,000 bond.

Police are asking for the public's help in capturing Ace Frank.

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Father and son arrested by Howard County police in driveway paving scam

Howard County police are investigating reports of a telephone scam in which callers claim to be holding family members hostage.

During the past two weeks, police have received four reports of incidents in which scammers attempt to get money from a victim by claiming to have taken a family member hostage, policesaid.

The caller says the family member caused a car accident and is being held until the victim wires money to cover damages, police said.

Police said the caller attempts to keep the victim on the phone until the wire is complete, police said.

Each of the four cases has been a hoax, police said.

Police said no one has sent money but are warning residents to be wary of such scams, and have issued the following warnings:

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Howard police investigate telephone scam

Driveway paving parking lot asphalt blacktop jerseyville Il
Cousin Bill Paving a asphalt parking lot and driveway in jerseyville Illinois grading it first installing 2 layers servicing Carrollton Jacksonville Springfi...

By: Illinoispaving

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Driveway paving parking lot asphalt blacktop jerseyville Il - Video

Howard County police have arrested a father and son in connection with a driveway paving scam that happened in Laurel in February.

Police have issued an arrest warrant for a third suspect and are asking for the publics help to find him.

Authorities said Paul Frank, 48, and his son, Spanky Frank, 19, were charged with four counts of selling home improvements without a license and acting as a contractor without a license.

They were arrested Wednesday in Prince Georges County without incident. An arrest warrant has been issued for a third suspect, Ace Frank, 22, on the same charges. It is unknown if he is related to the other two suspects.

While all three Franks have permanent residences out of state, police believe they have been staying at a home in the 8600 block of Contee Road in Laurel.

In recent years, police and consumer affairs representatives have investigated scams for driveway paving services in which criminals complete substandard work or dont finish the job, charge higher prices than agreed upon or steal from the victims homes.

In February, homeowners at four homes in Laurel -- three in the 9600 block of Baltimore Avenue, one in the 8600 block of Tower Drive -- were solicited by men later identified as Paul Frank, Spanky Frank and Ace Frank, for driveway re-sealing services, police said.

In each case, the men charged higher than the agreed upon prices, the work was completed poorly and no receipt was provided.

Investigators said the trio bought what appeared to be black paint at paint stores and then poured some gasoline into the black paint and used the mixture to reseal their customers' driveways.

Detectives also learned that none of the Franks possessed contractor licenses as required by the State of Maryland.

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Police arrest father, son in driveway paving scam

Howard County police arrested a father and son, and are searching for a third suspect, in a driveway paving scam in Laurel last month, officials said.

Paul Frank, 48, and Spanky Frank, 19, painted driveways they were paid to re-seal with a mixture of black paint and gasoline, then charged higher than the agreed-upon prices and gave no receipts, police said.

The two, and a relative, Ace Frank, 22, were charged with selling home improvements and acting as a contractor without a license after four homeowners complained to police and consumer affairs, police said.

The homeowners, three in the 9600 block of Baltimore Ave. and one in the 8600 block of Tower Drive, said they were solicited by the men, two of whom were subsequently arrested on Wednesday in Prince George's County. An arrest warrant has been issued for Ace Frank, who is wanted on the same charges. All three have permanent out-of-state residences but had been staying in the 8600 block of Contee Road, police said.

Spanky Frank was released from the Howard County Detention Center on $2,600 bond. Paul Frank was released on $10,000 bond. Neither had a lawyer listed in online court records, and no one answered at a phone number listed for the Contee Road home.

Police asked residents to be wary of such scams and report them to law enforcement if they believe they have been victimized.

cmcampbell@baltsun.com

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Police: Fake contractors in Laurel 'paved' driveways with paint and gasoline

By D.E. Schlatter Digital First Media

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP >> About 1.8 miles of township-owned roads and streets will be getting a make-over this year with the board of supervisors sending the 2015 road improvement plan out for public bids.

In a 4-0 vote at its March 11 meeting, Chairman Ryan Gallagher and Vice Chairman Mike Gallagher, along with supervisors Kyle Davis and Phil Calabro authorized the township to advertise the projects.

Supervisor Jen Dix did not attend the meeting.

According to township engineer Michele Fountain, the estimated cost of repaving, as well as replacing curbs, sidewalks and gutters, is $677,541.

Of that amount, roughly $506,000 will come from the states allocation of Liquid Fuel Funds, and the remaining $170,000 will be paid from the townships general and parks and recreation funds.

In all, there are 71.3 miles of township roads in Newtown, according to Fountain.

She said that along with her own input, the roads were chosen with recommendations from the township manager and public works director.

We whittled down the estimate to fit into the budget constraints, Fountain noted.

Burgundy Lane from Hartford Lane to Yorkshire Drive and then from Yorkshire to Yorkshire will have gutter curbs replaced and sidewalks repaired.

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Road improvement program moves forward in Newtown; township will spend $677,000 on repaving, repairs