Seven cited in Aptos for contracting without a license plead guilty

SANTA CRUZ -- Seven of the 14 contractors cited in a November sting in Aptos for contracting without a license pleaded guilty or no contest in court Monday and were ordered to pay a $750 fine plus court costs, according to county prosecutor Bill Atkinson.

Jail time will be suspended pending payment of the fine and efforts to obtain the license required from the Contractors State License Board, he said, noting two of the seven indicated they will not seek a license.

The other seven are scheduled for a court date later this month or February.

"It's a win-win for everybody if they can get their license, then they become accountable," Atkinson said, noting cases will be reviewed in nine months giving those cited time to study for the closed-book exam.

Atkinson said any work requiring more than $500 in labor and materials must be done by a licensed contractor who has posted a bond.

The Contractors State License Board application fee is $300, and the initial license fee covering two years is $180, for a total of $480. The fee for each additional classification, such as roofing, is $75.

Penalties for a first offense of contracting without a license are a fine of up of $5,000, six months in county jail, or both, said Steve Breen of the Contractors State License Board, noting a second conviction carries a mandatory 90-day jail sentence.

Atkinson said none of the 14 cited in Aptos had a prior conviction.

During 2013-14, the Labor Enforcement Task Force, a coalition including the Contractor State Licensed Board, district attorney's offices and Department of Industrial Relations, inspected 1,399 business statewide, 45 percent in construction, to combat the "underground economy," which puts operators who follow the rules at a disadvantage and results in tax revenue shortfalls. Santa Cruz County had 39 businesses inspected; no details were available Monday.

In November, investigators posed as homeowners and contacted contractors for a project estimate in Aptos, using a list of unlicensed contractors kept by the DA's office.

Read the original here:
Seven cited in Aptos for contracting without a license plead guilty