PA. Home Improvement Act 132 !!!!

Nail Ace

PA. Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act 132 goes into to effect on July 1, 2009!

Say good by to the little guy!

1)The law affords protections for consumers who hire contractors to perform home improvements on their residential properties.
2)The law requires written contracts between the contractor and the consumer when the total cash price of all work agreed upon exceeds $500.
3) The law provides criminal penalties for home improvement fraud and civil penalties for violations of the act.
4) The law is effective July 1, 2009

Who must register?

1) Contractors who perform home improvements in PA. for which the total cash value of the contractor's home improvements is $5000 or more per year.
2) Contractors must register with the Office of Attorney General and pay a non-refundable application fee of $50 renewable every two years.

What should I expect after I register?

1) A contractor will receive a certificate and wallet card with a registration number.
2) A contractor shall include his/her registation number in ALL advertisements, contracts, estimates, and proposals with consumers in the Commonwealth.
3) Consumers will be encouraged to contact the Bureau of Consumer Protection to check the status of the registration of a contractor.

I just received this in the mail and I,m read as I type, 14 pages!!
So far just glancing over this,
1) If your not registered, you cannot BID!!
2)1099 is out the door unless he registers too. With Fed. I.D. , insurance, works comp. and the works.
3) No more than 30% of a down payment on contracts.
4) Want to no if you have been convicted of a criminal offense(DWI ?).
5) Bankruptcy in the last 10 years under present Co. name, passed Co. name,
6) Consumer can rescind contract after 3 days of signing with out penalty. ( Better wait 3 days before you start the work).

Well, thats just the first few pages and I agree with alot of it, I,m finishing a projects I have contracts for and thats it.
Between the Fed.,State,township,borough,city,county,earn income,high works comp, and rub my #ss tax, they can kiss mine!! I'm going back to Ohio where my income was higher than my taxes. Now I know why they charge $1.50 a minute to mow grass around here!! LOL

I'll read this over better tonight and post more if I dont beat the key board to death as I type it.

Sorry if this has been posted before. If it has the dead line is in 6 weeks!!

Later, Dennis

Patrick

Hmmm.... Looks to me like there is one less hack for you guys to worry about now that this dude is leaving town.

Honestly, you cant afford the $50?

And the other stuff.... Thats what REAL companies such as ours have been doing since day one.

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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.

Nail Ace

Hey Patrick !! You from PA.

Master Mechanic

I'm number #815, it was a breeze and only took me 5 minutes to fill out what was needed online. I actually think its pretty cool to be under 1000 in the entire state =). Also they are WAY too many hacks floating around PA, so I like this law, a lot!

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Patrick

no, I am from MA we have the same kinda laws up here, and have for years

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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.

Nail Ace

I agree with the majority of it, but the taxes are whats hurting the most. I know alot of the big contractors here have pending law suits, the largest has 3. He owes a major lumber supplier $200.000 and they shut his credit off. Their all good contractors, or should I says their crews due great work and, thats why their still in business. They have all changed their names in one way or another. I guess I kind for feel for the men. These guys just starting out that have made some mistakes in the past 10 years are really going to pay with their dirty laundry hanging out. I'm know in the late 70s I made some poor decisions that I regret and I'm sure we all did and we learned for those mistakes.
I was planning on retiring in a couple of years but I think I'll just do it alittle sooner. Between keeping the customer happy with a fair bid and my men happy with a fair wage and benefits its like the 70s all over.

Do you think its right that you have 10 days to give the customers money back because its not quite the way he thought it would look while you fight it.

I started my business in Columbus,Oh.. I was doing 3-2-2s' for $3.25 and highens for $7.00 to $11.00 depending on how cut up they were when I left 5 years ago and these guys are doing it for half that and paying leads $12.00 an hour.

I drink coffee with these guys every morning, they joke about not having a license, they aren't laughing now. You probably think I'm BSing but I'm not. It's like a zoo. They didn't have code or licensed inspectors till a few years ago. LOL When Patrick called me a hack I had to laugh. Haven't heard that phrase for awhile. When I started framing they didn't even have speed squares and you didn't become a carpenter till you could lay out a house, read a framing square and cut in the rafters. Masons levels were the best and if you couldn't set it and sink it well, I'll still take 4 good hand drivers against 2 nail guns any day.

Yeah, I'm an old fart and I miss the old days.
4 kids and 11 grandkids and I think they deserve more time with Pap.

Give me a 308 and a shotgun, and a bottle of homemade wine
Drop us off on a moutaintop so we can watch the world go down the drain!!

Good Luck all!!
The Hack!! LOL

FLGC

Here in florida about everything is regulated by the state collecting fees every two years to keep an active license. However they don't actively seek out unlicensed contractors. So why bother to get one. A home owner is going to hire the cheapest guy anyway. Its just a way for a state to generate money to support bloated goverment!

Flag ship

I don't completely agree with you. It evens the playing field hear in Florida. Yes it does create larger bureaucracy but it also creates a more professional spectrum. For which you can and do earn more.

We are based out of Pa since 43. I think over time it will bring more good then harm. Pa has an abundance of under ballers teachers competing against you in the summer for small jobs. In the past any one could became a contractor over night perhaps this will help those that are legit. Personally they should have tests and verifacation of experience like Florida that would cut the compitition in half.

Plexis

Competition is the hallmark of a "free" economy. All that government is doing is regulating potentially good contractors from starting (something the "established" big boys love). Competition helps to keep the "big boys" from charging whatever they want. History shows that less competition is detrimental to the consumers' best interest. If you haven't figured out what it that I am saying it is this....Welcome to the United Socialist States of America where there are high prices, high unemployment, no customer service and no choices.

Tech Dawg

Great updates for a 2 year old thread

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Todd

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