SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO SAY IT AGAIN...AND AGAIN...AND AGAIN...

In the months since our huge hurricane trifecta, the media has occasionally warned people about not checking out the individuals and their businesses prior to signing an agreement to provide repairs to their damaged homes.

Unfortunately, not everyone gets the message, or after soooooo long without getting their home fixed they are ready to sign on with whoever is willing to do it right away at a low price.

The Winter Haven News Chief is letting people know again that there are plenty of unlicensed contractors in Polk County and elsewhere that are operating illegally...and local people are being screwed because of it:

WINTER HAVEN --- Jennifer Jones admits she doesn't know much about repairing roofs.

But even she knows that when repairing a roof that suffered severe hurricane damage, you take the tarp off before laying down new shingles.

But workers found just that after they started pulling the new shingles off her roof, Jones said. There was the the tarp that Operation Blue Roof had placed on her home after the hurricanes.

Now she's broke, desperate for help and hoping that the police arrest the unlicensed contractor she says deliberately ripped her off.

But while her situation may be extreme, it's not uncommon.

The number of unlicensed contractors the county fined for illegally doing work in 2004 and the first two months of this year has skyrocketed over past years, leaving many homeowners with shoddy or unfinished repairs.

The number of citations issued to unlicensed contractors in Polk County has steaily gone up:
2003 - 68
2004 - 104 (48 prior to August, when Charley struck; 56 afterward)
2005 - 31 (and that's just to this point!)

In Ms. Jones' case, she was left high and dry after her insurance company filed for bankruptcy only days after Charley. The backup for work was --- and continues to be in many areas --- extremely long, so she jumped at the chance when someone came by and left her a card.

You've GOT to do some basic detective work in order to try to get the best work done:

1) Check out the company with the county and state to insure that it is licensed to do the type of work you need done.

2) Don't be afraid to ask for names of previous customers...and call them to get their opinion as to the business' quality of work.

3) Check with several companies, and get more than one estimate.

There's a sucker born every minute...don't be the next one!