Who knew remodeling your home could become a horrifying and eye-opening experience about unscrupulous individuals with a license to destroy your plans and a government that allows it to happen with little oversight?!!
With so many emails from homeowners sharing their experiences and frustrations and many of you wanting to write letters to state officials demanding change, I say-yeah! Go for it – write those letters and send a copy to contractorsfromhell.com so we can support and document your efforts.
Earlier this week I received an email from a woman in California that brought up this issue and she was angry and shocked that what happened to her with her smarmy contractor cost her financially as the contractor declared bankruptcy and simply got another license and continues to work. And according to her, he’s figured out a way to beat the system. Moreover, she believes the Contractors Board to be incompetent and wants to start a letter writing campaign to the Legislature to effect policy changes that govern the CSLB as well as contractors.
So I want to share with and enlighten all of you who have written asking (and criticizing) why is it that the government allows unethical contractors to continue to harm homeowners and the contractors doing so continue to get away with it. It all boils down to the Legislature who is driven by special interest groups – i.e., the Building Industry – who contributes a great deal of money to keep their interests and their support or rejection of bills before the House or Senate a priority. If it’s good for consumers BUT should Industry believe it limits their interests and leaves their members (contractors) vulnerable to discipline, it ain’t happening. Period. The pressure on the lawmaker to back off and reject the bill will be made known loudly by Building Industry representatives and that Senator or Assembly person will concede. Shameful but true.
Having worked with the Center For Public Interest Law in supporting consumer protection bills, as well as attorneys and the CSLB, I have been enlightened as to what really goes on behind the scenes and it’s dispicable for the most part as to who calls the shots. Being a constituent really doesn’t have a whole lot of influence with the exception of getting your vote at the ballot box.
I would like to think that at some point we could make a difference; but that would take millions of letters and phone calls to your representatives, not just a handful. And a whole lot of media attention.