New Jersey issues citations to dozens of contractors

TRENTON, N.J. (WABC) --

"Home improvement disputes are consistently the number-one consumer complaint category the Division of Consumer Complaints receives year after year," Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said. "With this action we are demanding more than $1 million in restitution for consumers who paid for work that allegedly was never finished. We also are giving these contractors the opportunity to come into compliance with the law, and reminding New Jersey consumers to protect themselves by conducting basic research before hiring a contractor."

The Division has directed 62 of the contractors to pay a total of $1,046,978 in consumer restitution, in amounts ranging from as little as $378 to as much as $185,000, for allegedly failing to complete work that consumers had paid for in advance, failing to refund deposits, or other issues.

The Division has cited all 68 contractors for violations of New Jersey's Contractor's Registration Act, such as failure to provide consumers with detailed, written contracts for home improvement projects costing more than $500. In addition, 44 of the companies have also been cited for operating without being registered as home improvement contractors in New Jersey. The State has assessed a total of $276,250 in civil penalties against the 68 contractors, for a combined total assessment, including civil penalties and consumer restitution, of more than $1.3 million.

"When contractors fail to comply with the law, or the terms of their contracts, consumers can be left with costs in the tens of thousands of dollars and a house full of unfinished improvements," Division of Consumer Affairs Acting Director Steve Lee said. "Our registration laws help place consumers on equal footing with the contractors they hire, and help ensure that those contractors can be held accountable."

The Division of Consumer Affairs received 1,434 consumer complaints about home improvement contractors in 2013, making that the largest consumer complaint category last year.

Tips for Consumers, When Hiring a Contractor:

To advertise and perform home improvement work legally in New Jersey, contractors must register with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. Registration materials and information are available at http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/HIC/ .

Investigators Joseph Iasso, Jared O'Cone, Donna Leslie, Juan Odio, Michelle Davis, Cullen Church, and Michael Meola, led by Supervising Investigator Jen Micco of the Division of Consumer Affairs' Office of Consumer Protection, conducted these investigations.

Deputy attorneys general from the Consumer Fraud Prosecution Section within the Division of Law represented the State in these actions.

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New Jersey issues citations to dozens of contractors