There Is One Thing More Ambitious Than A Young Entrepenure.....

J-Peffer

A freaking con artist.

A short story on why I got into the trades:

I was watching a special when I was 20 years old, on NBC. The special setup a demo/sting type situation for potential victims of con artist.

The guy playing the con artist, had a white van. He bought a "COMPANY" painting decal magnet, slapped it on the side of the van. It was for a Paint Company.

He put on some $25 white painters cargo pants, had a screen printed shirt made for his company, a company hat and when working neighborhoods.

He would knock on the doors, intro himself, tell them they were doing work in the area, and "I can paint around these windows and this fascia for you, for a reasonable price.

The home owner "How reasonable?".

How does $800 sound?

NO?

Okay, $600?

Deal!

I just need half down, to get materials and get started.

He would walk away with a check.


The guy did this for a day, and had about 10,000 in checks ready to go.

Could easy, cash them, skip to the next town, or leave the state after a few weeks of stocking up the cash.

I looked at this, and wondered, "why not just do the dam work and MAKE the money, not steal it?".

THis all resurfaced because I used various states contractor license checks, and google and people searches to "check up" on a newer guy in my area I've heard some things about.

Over 5 years, he has had 3 different companies, in different states and cities. I've check his license status in Michigan and it experienced 20 years ago, actually 21 years (1988......Regan was president).

I've called and talked to the local code enforcement officer, and the building inspector, and I saw 2 more of his job signs up, with in 10 blocks of my house.

I'm booked with work, and in good area's. But I'm going to have to keep pressing these city officials to protect the common wealth, or it's only a matter of time before these people are taken advantage of.

It's TOO easy to start a company, get a new phone number, file a DBA or even a LLC and rip people off. Do cheap, crap work for a year, rip off a few down payments, buy a new truck, put 20k in the bank and move to Ohio for a few years.

Patrick

We have a guy here that does that every 2-4 years except he doesn't move, he stays in the same place and cons people and suppliers over and over and over again.

__________________
Originally Posted by Celtic
Like I said...I'm sure you are very good at what you do ~ whatever that is and where ever it happens.

J-Peffer

It's a problem, and it's fusterating.

The catch is, I am not hurting for work at all. I'm doing estimates every day and I close a good portion of those. He is taking no work from me.

I've never seen him get a job I bid on.

The issue is, the city does nothing to protect the residents from these types of people.

I'd like to spend time, make sure this happens. At some point, I ask myself...."How much money am I making....doing this". I make nothing for looking into this, it's the home owners that are getting hurt, not me.

Clancy@SS

Can you file a report with the BBB? Might not do much, but at least its something. Is there a local "Angie's List" around you?

Clancy

J-Peffer

I doubt he's a member of the BBB or his customers are even any where near looking into that if they are not checking for an active license.

A "contractor Fraud" search for Michigan brought up nothing, state related. But I did get in touch with a painting company and talked to the owner as he had a very nice section on contracting fraud on his web page.

Painters and roofers alike, easiest places for scammers to work in cause you don't pull permits.

I printed off some information, and setup an appointment with the city manager.

mnjconstruction

I had an employee go out on his own a few years back. He was a pretty good carpenter. I wished him the best of luck but not before I warned him that its not as easy as it looks working for yourself. But him looking at my established company he wanted the same. I explained to him that for the first 2 or 3 years it was rough, acually looking back now I have no idea how I made it! Anyway long story short he went out on his own, ripped alot of people off. Wrote 30k worth of checks that bounced and so on. He is now in jail. I wonder if he is looking back and realizing that the 40k a year he made from working from me wasn't too bad??

J-Peffer

I've called the local inspector twice now, every time i see this guy start a job.

Thursday morning, I went to the building and inspecting department.

I printed off from www.mighican.gov/builders a copy of his lapsed license in 1988.

I called the state then, and they guided me to the michigan law for operating with out a license; 5000-25000 fine and/or up to 1 year in priosion.

It was the signed act, that had just passed that I printed out with all the legal information needed. I highlighted the area's for first and second offense.

I see he is starting another job today (Saturday).

I clipped out a add he has in the local news paper also, that advertises he is "licensed and insured".

Just seems no matter how much of the research, and work I do, they don't really care.

I'm 28, it's fusterating. I run a legit business, and I'm doing good with it despite guys like this running around. But I honestly take it as a slap in the face that this guy is promoting himself like a business I run, when his is nothing like it.

This is why you see so many hacks, and con's out there though. There are laws, but they are unenforced.

Clancy@SS

Unfortunately this is probably low on the list of priorities! Keep doing it the right way and hopefully karma will take over!

Clancy

apehangeralfy

If it's the law... that it to the Sheriffs office and file a complaint.

They have time to write traffic offences but often don't do anything about illegal contracting....

MJW

Same with illegal immigrants...............traffic offenses make the city/state money. It makes them more money in less time. That is why they would rather pick on the general mostly law abiding public.........because we have money to pay the fines.........then they can buy more votes for their bureaucrat friends..

No I don't have any problems with the police, I just know how/why they run the way they do.

apehangeralfy

I hear ya... but you would figure that with the $5000+ fines they would be all over it...


We are in the works of creating a "Special Masters" program here (Volusia and Flagler Counties) that is a self supporting agency that controls these type of issues... it is use in a few other counties with great success, to the point of almost completely stopping unlicensed activity altogether...

J-Peffer

The fines probably go directly to the state, not the county or municipal city. It's just time wasted to them.

I asked my city councilor, to please follow up for me and he said he would. I have a good relationship with him, shoot the **** with him. He's a former police officer, I sold and installed his windows 2 years ago.

He asked if the guy was taking work for me, and I said, "Not a single job". And he asked why I cared then. But eventually, he could, or a guy like him could be taking jobs.

If he did take a job from me, it would not be me making phone calls from my office. It would be me at the job site, making the phone calls and chances are the police would get involved. Some times I think I care too much, but in the same token, it's why I've been able to grow despite hard times on local contractors.