Editorial for March 29, 2007 edition:


It’s all such a crime

True, it may seem that legislative policies that target the conduct of an occupational group unfairly taint those in the business who show integrity when dealing with customers.
But you should expect that conduct. Which is why we prefer to see the redeeming qualities of a bill, now moving through the state legislature, that would aid homeowners if they’ve been scammed by unscrupulous contractors.
It’s a problem, with no signs of abating. When complaints against contractors — their workmanship, their business practices, their money methods — are topping the lists of the Better Business Bureau and government consumer agencies, it’s time to do something.
Legislation proposed by a Bucks County lawmaker, state Sen. Robert M. Tomlinson, has the potential to be that something. As more homeowners are discovering these days, shoddy character can be as troublesome as shoddy workmanship, and for too long the public has been forced to fight this battle alone.
Tomlinson’s measure has wide-ranging provisions, but the best is that it would classify contractor fraud as a criminal issue. The reality is that such fraud has long been the most wonderfully easy theft to pull off — no need to threaten your victim with a gun or tire iron, and there’s little fear of prosecution or jail time. Bewildered victims just file a consumer complaint and invariably say to hell with it.
One firm based in the Northeast, Santini Contractors, is now the focus of an aggressive police investigation, largely because of the volume of complaints, many by senior citizens. The allegations paint a common and disturbing picture — work that was never done but hefty deposits that were brazenly pocketed.
It’s a common and sorrowful tale. Homeowners deserve better, and honorable contractors have a personal stake in cleaning up the business.
Calling it a crime is a big first step. ••

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