First-offense fines for careless or fraudulent home improvement contractors could increase fivefold, from $1,000 per violation to $5,000, after the East Hampton Town Board supported suggestions from the license review board to better protect homeowners from incompetent work and deceptive practices.
“The cost of construction in the town and the penalties available to the L.R.B. are extremely disproportionate, especially for a first offense,” read a Sept. 8 memo to the town board from the license review board.
For a second offense, a maximum fine would increase to $10,000; for a third, to $15,000. After even a first offense, a home improvement contractor’s license could be suspended for up to a year.
Additionally, the license review board suggested the board draw up a searchable list of all licensed contractors in the town.
“The purpose of this is, it puts teeth in our investigations and our desire to deter repeat violations,” Britton Bistrian, who has served on the license review board for over 20 years, told the board.
“We commonly see gross negligence and shoddy workmanship on budgets not under a million dollars,” she added. “It’s become very obvious that it’s disproportionate that our maximum punishment for this behavior is a thousand-dollar fine or revocation of their license for a set time.” She added that it’s common for homeowners to complain that their licensed contractor hires unlicensed subcontractors. “It’s very hard to easily search someone’s name and say ‘Oh, they’re licensed, or they’re not licensed.’ “ A listing on the town’s website would clarify a contractor’s status.
Alexandra Vecchio, an assistant town attorney, said the L.R.B. can currently impose a fine or suspend or revoke a license. “They would like to change that, and give them the ability to do both where that’s necessary,” she told the board, which offered unanimous support for the changes.
A public hearing on the legislation will be held in the coming weeks.
