Hank Investigates: Building Violations

Vinyl siding crashing to the ground…

Victim
"It just broken my heart."

A new kitchen left unfinished for two years…

Victim
"It’s been a nightmare."

An entire addition with no heat…

Victim
"It was terrible."

Our investigation found all these families and more out of money and out of options, ripped off by renegade contractors operating illegally, while the state law designed to protect them from such con artists is ignored.

Sharon Canales, Quincy
"It has made me so depressed."

Look at Sharon Canales house in Quincy, this is how the contractor left it…

Sharon Canales
"I have this mess…"

Sharon signed this $14,000 contract for siding and windows, but halfway through the job the builder disappeared.

Sharon Canales
"He was very dishonest and deceitful."

If Sharon’s contractor had been properly registered with the state, she could have gotten money from the state's guaranty fund. It offers refunds for rip-off work. But her builder was operating illegally, so Sharon was out thousands of dollars.

Sharon Canales
"This is a tragedy."

In fact, every one of these people hired an unregistered contractor. The State Department of Public Safety oversees the building industry.

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"Is it legal for someone to do that work and not be registered?"

Rob Anderson, Board of Building Regulations and Standards
"The simple answer to that question is no."

But who’s going to stop them? Officials admit that a rogue contractor, who hits once or twice and runs, is usually prosecution proof.

Paul Schlaver, Cambridge Consumers' Council
"There has got to be a certain amount of victims, a certain amount of money involved

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"And if not?"

Paul Schlaver, Cambridge Consumers' Council
"It’s a victim without a happy ending quite often."

So the bad builder, who left Kathleen’s home in chaos got paid $132,000 and got away with it.

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"Did you ask if he was registered?"

Victim
"No one ever asked."

In Newton, the Modys paid out $62,000, then their unregistered contractor disappeared.

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"Did you know he wasn’t registered when you signed the contract?"

Victim
"No."

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"Did you ask?"

Victim
"No."

So why didn't these homeowners know how to protect themselves? One reason, our investigation of local building departments found that many communities are ignoring the law.

The states building code and state law says clearly that every building permit must carry a specific warning: hire an unregistered contractor and there's no access to the guaranty fund.

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"Is this optional?"

Rob Anderson, Board of Building Regulations and Standards
"No."

But in communities across the state, we found permits without the required warning. In Rosina’s home town of Waltham…

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"That warning isn’t on here, why is that?"

In the Mody's home town of Newton…

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"That's not on here, why is that?"

Newton Building Commissioner
"I honestly don’t know."

In Kathleen’s Woburn…

Woburn Building Commissioner
"Why just an oversight."

In fact, when we checked two years of complaints about sent to the Attorney General's office in the last two years, not one of the victim's towns had the permit warning.

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"Are you surprised to see this?"

Rob Anderson, Board of Building Regulations and Standards
"Yes. It’s the right of the homeowner to be protected in this manner so they need to know."

And now as a direct result of our investigation, home construction all over the state will never be the same, building departments we contacted are now adding the required warning.

In Woburn…

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"So, you’ll change this now?"

Woburn Building Commissioner
"It’s in the process right now."

In Waltham…

Waltham Building Commissioner
"It’s going to be on the permit."

In Newton…

Newton Building Commissioner
"We changed first thing this morning."

If homeowners had known about the rules, they'd also know how easy it is to look up contractor registration on the Web. But for all too many victims, it’s what they didn't know that’s now the final building violation.

Victim
"I just could have saved myself so much money pain suffering trauma."

State officials have now issued this notice statewide, warning communities they must abide by the law.

For more information:

To verify a home improvement contractor is registered please visit:

http://www.state.ma.us/homeimprovement/consumer/lookup.htm

For more on the rules, regulations and tips for hiring a registered home improvement contractor click here:(includes information about the Contractor Arbitration program and Guaranty Fund)

• http://www.state.ma.us/homeimprovement/consumer/tips.htm
• http://www.cambridgema.gov/deptann.cfm?story_id=363