# Unlicensed contractors



## rdr (Oct 25, 2009)




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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

one would think the public would not be duped via an ordinary service call, with a common widget @ $1600.....~CS~


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

There is no such thing as an unlicensed contractor here. You're either licensed, or you're a criminal.

It would be nice if an audio track accompanied the video.


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## Pompadour (Mar 19, 2011)

480sparky said:


> There is no such thing as an unlicensed contractor here. You're either licensed, or you're a criminal.


i wish that it was like that here.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Pompadour said:


> i wish that it was like that here.



I just with they would make a concerted effort to _convict_ the criminals, though.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

my buddy had a prob where a former employee was using his license to pull permits. he only found out because he got a letter about some violations. the guy wasn't licensed, so the local board said they couldn't do anything about it - they said by law they could only go after licensed contractors. my buddy had to go in front of the board to explain everything, and it was a big hassle. the local jurisdiction never did anything about this clown, the only people who got screwed were the homeowners he did (shoddy) work for. I never did understand wtf the deal was with that. why bother having laws if they got no teeth. I like the way Calif goes after these guys.


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## B W E (May 1, 2011)

480sparky said:


> I just with they would make a concerted effort to convict the criminals, though.


They do get convicted here. In California, the cslb has so few resources that when they actually DO a sting, anyone that gets caught typically gets the book thrown at them.


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## B W E (May 1, 2011)

chicken steve said:


> one would think the public would not be duped via an ordinary service call, with a common widget @ $1600.....~CS~


It was not (1) common widget, it was (10) @ $160 a piece. I'm sure many guys on here would have no problem charging $160 for a new zinsco breaker. Ten of them would come up to $1600..... And thats without any kind of service charge or labor. If the problem was really ten bad breakers, that's a good price.


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## B W E (May 1, 2011)

wildleg said:


> my buddy had a prob where a former employee was using his license to pull permits. he only found out because he got a letter about some violations. the guy wasn't licensed, so the local board said they couldn't do anything about it - they said by law they could only go after licensed contractors. my buddy had to go in front of the board to explain everything, and it was a big hassle. the local jurisdiction never did anything about this clown, the only people who got screwed were the homeowners he did (shoddy) work for. I never did understand wtf the deal was with that. why bother having laws if they got no teeth. I like the way Calif goes after these guys.


The problem is, Cali rarely goes after anyone. To get them to investigate ANYTHING, you would have to call a guy you know is unlicensed, have him come give a written estimate, sign a contract with him, let him do the work, pay him in full, then provide all documentation to cslb. Once they get enough of that in one area, they MAY put together a sting op. 95% of the "electricians" posting on CL in Los Angeles County are not licensed. Posting an ad without a license is a crime in an of itself, but nobody does anything about it.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

B W E said:


> It was not (1) common widget, it was (10) @ $160 a piece. I'm sure many guys on here would have no problem charging $160 for a new zinsco breaker. Ten of them would come up to $1600..... And thats without any kind of service charge or labor. If the problem was really ten bad breakers, that's a good price.


 
They're standard Hone Cheapo breakers

the guy in the vid opened up the tool box & said so....

~CS~


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

B W E said:


> The problem is, Cali rarely goes after anyone. To get them to investigate ANYTHING, you would have to call a guy you know is unlicensed, have him come give a written estimate, sign a contract with him, let him do the work, pay him in full, then provide all documentation to cslb. Once they get enough of that in one area, they MAY put together a sting op. 95% of the "electricians" posting on CL in Los Angeles County are not licensed. Posting an ad without a license is a crime in an of itself, but nobody does anything about it.


I'm starting to get the impression it works in a similar manner almost any state one resides in

I mean, these people in the OP set up shop, and were blatantly scamming the general public , not just some fly by nighters

One can only imagine the howling it took for this sting to go down

I've had my share of abuse here as well, the state does nothing about it

Empowering the unlicensed via punishments justifing the crime _juxtaposed_ to levying greater fines on a licensed contractor for minor infractions /liability makes having & maintaining one more a detriment than not imho....

~CS~


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

The guy at 2:25-2:40 sounds like a used car salesman.


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

Wish they would arrest them here.:thumbsup:


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## B W E (May 1, 2011)

chicken steve said:


> They're standard Hone Cheapo breakers
> 
> the guy in the vid opened up the tool box & said so....
> 
> ~CS~


No kidding.... It's a common widget, which you said was $1600. I was simply saying the $1600 was for (10), not (1), meaning the guy was charging $160 a piece, unlike your post that said $1600.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

B W E said:


> No kidding.... It's a common widget, which you said was $1600. I was simply saying the $1600 was for (10), not (1), meaning the guy was charging $160 a piece, unlike your post that said $1600.


then i stand corrected, thanx

~CS~


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

*Congrats to ca.*

Thanx for the clip.

We Need more of this no doubt. Across the Country.:thumbsup:

I'm sure I am not the only one to notice a common denominator.

Another reason I am a proponent of State wide licensing & Code. None of this town to town,County to County stuff.

We In Massachusetts can work in any of our 365 Cities and towns and know what the rules are. That is HUGE. Puts us all on a fair playing field. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Not that licensed guys are not out there ripping people off, But that becomes 'Buyer beware'.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Here is the new story one guy charged an old lady $2300 to fix a light fixture.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/7_on_your_side&id=6724824


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Link no workee.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

480sparky said:


> Link no workee.


How about now.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

leland said:


> We In Massachusetts can work in any of our 365 Cities and towns and know what the rules are. That is HUGE. Puts us all on a fair playing field. .


last i worked there, Mass employed municipal ahj's, _not_ state ahj's

many are multihats

that's a _huge_ dif 

just mho....

~CS~


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

chicken steve said:


> last i worked there, Mass employed municipal ahj's, _not_ state ahj's
> 
> many are multihats
> 
> ...


All of them are licensed Electricians.


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## electagb (Jan 7, 2010)

Here's one in NJ who is(was) licensed. Was fined thousands of dollars and his license was suspended. 


http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/special_reports&id=7300352


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

electagb said:


> Here's one in NJ who is(was) licensed. Was fined thousands of dollars and his license was suspended.
> 
> 
> http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/special_reports&id=7300352



"in the electrical industry for 35 years and teaches at Pennco Tech....." (1:45)....... Yet goes hand-on with the service in an_ aluminum ladder_? (1:56 & 3:14) :001_huh: :001_huh: :001_huh:


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## Hawkeye_Pierce (Apr 3, 2008)

480sparky said:


> "in the electrical industry for 35 years and teaches at Pennco Tech....." (1:45)....... Yet goes hand-on with the service in an_ aluminum ladder_? (1:56 & 3:14) :001_huh: :001_huh: :001_huh:


Yeah and with uninsulated ***** and a gardening glove! :no:


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## mbednarik (Oct 10, 2011)

480sparky said:


> I just with they would make a concerted effort to _convict_ the criminals, though.


I have a GC friend who turned a guy in. The EC was a licensed electrical constractor with the state but said he didn't need a permit for the addition because he had gotten one a year earlier for the new service. State did nothing about it, just made him buy a permit and get the final product inspected. I don't even see the purpose of turning people in when they do nothing with the information.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

mbednarik said:


> I have a GC friend who turned a guy in. The EC was a licensed electrical constractor with the state but said he didn't need a permit for the addition because he had gotten one a year earlier for the new service. State did nothing about it, just made him buy a permit and get the final product inspected. I don't even see the purpose of turning people in when they do nothing with the information.


It really is hopeless if they do nothing about it.


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## mbednarik (Oct 10, 2011)

HARRY304E said:


> It really is hopeless if they do nothing about it.


Thats what i thought. The licensing setup is still pretty new here. I like it because the scum bags now at least have to meet minimum code.


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## Mike_586 (Mar 24, 2009)

leland said:


> Another reason I am a proponent of State wide licensing & Code. None of this town to town,County to County stuff.
> 
> We In Massachusetts can work in any of our 365 Cities and towns and know what the rules are. That is HUGE. Puts us all on a fair playing field. :thumbsup::thumbsup:
> 
> Not that licensed guys are not out there ripping people off, But that becomes 'Buyer beware'.


It's definitely very nice to have the option if I so desire to simply pick up and work just about anywhere I want. Usually I stay in Ottawa, sometimes I'll do a little work in Quebec due to our proximity, though I prefer not to because all the extra paperwork for taxes and benefits is a hassle.



HARRY304E said:


> It really is hopeless if they do nothing about it.


Yeah, only doing a little isn't much better either. Up here we have the ESA and they are the ones responsible for catching these guys on top of their inspection duties.

Still they catch the odd guy from time to time and I think 99% of the time its because the client starts getting wise and makes some of the right calls...

From the convictions I keep seeing, it seems like most guys getting caught are small handyman/GC outfits doing kitchen/bath/basement renovations or journeymen doing side jobs. Typically the fines start at around $350 + victim surcharge (goes into a fund that's used to help victims of crimes can't remember if its 20% or 25%)

A common game that a lot of guys around here do is to try and get work done under a home owners permit. What they don't realize is that if they get caught, it can still cost them a fair bit...

...I'm pretty sure this guy, was a journeyman. Two grand is a big chunk to take out of the profits on a little job like wiring a house.

There's another agency that handles journeyman licensing (Ministry of Labour) and the biggest fine I've ever seen for a guy getting caught working as an electrician without a license was in the neighbourhood of 10k. Though if I remember right, he was caught 2 or 3 times before the fines got that big, the first couple were pretty light.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

The reason they 'go after' the licensed people is simple: The AHJ knows who they are and how to contact them. Makes nailing 'em, and collecting fines, a helluva lot easier.

Not so with the fly-under-the-radar crowd.


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