Evening star., 1960-06-24
Home-Repair Bill Hearing
Ordered Monday by Bea||
Senator Moves
To Get Action
This Session
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG
Star STAFF Writer

MONlIAS o"11G1y W Sul " I'LL
scrupulous home improvement
contractors before Congress
adjourns, Senator Beall, Re
publican of Maryland, today
called a hearing for Monday on
legislation to give more protec-
ton to Washington home
owners.
Senator Beall agreed to hold
the hearing shortly after Chair
man Bible of the Senate Dis
trict Committee introduced the
legislation yesterday to require
bonds of Washington home
improvement contractors.
1--WE need to clean up this
situation before other unfor-
tunate citizens are affected by
these people," Senator Beall
said. II don't think any legiti-
mate business concern or con-
tractor would condone such
unethical practices"
Evils Listed
He referred to the evils ex-
posed in The Stars recent
"HomeoWner Beware" series.
Among them are advance pay
ment for work that is never
done, mortgages placed on
homes without the knowledge
of the homeowner, incomplete
and delayed work, substitution
of materials, and work done
without permit which sub,
sequently had to be removed.
Senator Beall said he had
heard "rumbleS" of these prac-
tices for some time but he was
surprised and amazed at the
extent of the rackets.
In my own State of Mary
land" he pointed out, both
Prince Georges County and
Baltimore City grand juries
have investigated these irregu-
laritieS and Baltimore has
brought a number of indict-
mentS."
He expressed the hope that
the Bible bill will suffice to
curb similar irregularities. He
said that if the hearing shows
that the bill is not sufficient
to curb the unethical practices.
the measure will be amended
in committee.
Cases in Suburbs
| Although the bill is limited
to District home improvement
contractors, he said. there have
been many flagrant cases in
Maryland and Virginia where
EDistrict home improvement
operators have taken advantage
of suburbaniteS.
The bill, now awaiting COM
mittee action on both sides Of
the Capitol, was given a run
through yesterday at a work
session of Corporation Counsel
Chester Gray with District
officials who would have to ad-
minister it, as we'll as repre-
SentativeS of the District Bar
Association and the home-im-
provement industry. The Off
cialS sought unanimity o.
opinion so that they can pre-
sent a united front at the
Capitol.
In another significant de-
velopment, a unified attack or
home-improvement fraud wa,
agreed upon at a meeting o!
United States Attorney Olive
GaSch with nearby Maryland
and Virginia prosecutors.
Committee Established
Out of the meeting came ar
Area Prosecutors Committee ir
the field of commercial fraud
The committee, with Assistan
United States Attorney ALFRED
; Hartman as secretary, wa;
established after Mr.. Gasch
told the prosecutors a close
liaison on regional basis is
very effective approach to Law
enforcement.
The area prosecutors, rep
resenting Arlington, Alexandrif
and Fairfax County, Va, ant
Prince Georges and Montgom-
cry Counties, Md, made thesc
agreements:
l. There will be a mutua
exchange of information amonp
. the prosecutors on home i'm,
Iprovement contractors anC
statesmen who victimize home
owners in the area. Any pro.
Secutor who convicts a home
improvement contractor or an,
Of his agents for fraud in the
conduct of business will notify
his opposite numbers in all the
other area jurisdictions.
T 2. The prosecutors will see,
regulations under which tn,
revocation of a home-improve.
ment contractors license in on,
community in the metropolitan
area would bar him from re
ceiving a license in anothe.
part Of the area.
3. Licensing and bonding o.
improvement contractor
through local laws is necessar,
to clean up fraudulent prac.
tices.
4. If there Is licensin,
throughout the metropolitan
area, a Maryland contracto.
who wants to do a home.
improvement job in Virginia
would need a license in Vir-
ginia as we'll as in Maryland
5. A stricter enforcement O..
notary laws to stop the promis-
cuous use of notary seals ir
the absence Of the customers
A notary signs an affidavit say
ing that the customer per-
sonally appeared before him tC
sign the notarized papers, bu'
the prosecutors agreed that