Evening star., 1960-06-12

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the situation then in existence
demands strong corrective
action above and beyond that
which may be reached by crimi-
nal prosecution"
The Commissioners and the
Citizens Advisory Council con-
sidered the question but decided
to postpone action until they
had a policy and criteria to
apply to all categorieS of
business.
Last year, the Business
Licensing Committee recon-
mended a business licensing
policy and criteria and singled
out home improvement con-
tractors as a type of business
that should be licensed.
The committees findings ran
into an interdepartmental has
sic and there the matter rested.
Meanwhile, at the other end
of the District Building, Cor
poration Counsel Chester Gray
wrote the Council on Law En-
forcement proposing regula-
tions patterned after the car
dealer licensing regulations and
a bonding law. Nothing came
Of that either.
During The Stars two
month investigation of home
improvement racketeers, vari-
GUS District officials individ-
ually proposed licensing and
bonding Of home improvement
contractors. George A. Knott,
chief Of the construction divi-
sion, and License Supt. C. T.
Nottingham both pointed out
that if home improvement con-
tractors were licensed, unscru-
pulous operators could lose
their license for uncompleted
work and work done without a
permit.
Two days before The Star
series was to appear, Engineer
Commissioner A. C. yelling
announced that he had directed
his subordinates to do some
thing promptly about home i'm
provement contractors. A COM
mittee worked over last week
end to prepare a report giving
the background picture and
possible solutions. The mem
orandum to the Commissioners
was sent to Gen. yelling early
last week but so far has gone
no further.
PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY
The county grand jury made
an investigation of the home
improvement business and re-
ported on March II that it
feels there is need for regula-
ton Of the home improvement
business and recommends that
the county Commissioners
and/or the legislature adopt
such licensing, bonding and/or
other measures as will effec-
lively control the operation Of
such business, its employees and
salesmen."
States Attorney William L.
Kahler estimated that county
homeowners are being bilked of
between 100000 and $780, 900
annually by high-pressure sales
men and contractors who duck
out after getting a sizeable part
Of the money for the job.
Chris Sondber C county
building inspector, reporting
frequent calls from complain
ing homeowners plus many
cases of faulty and even dam
gerous work, said he has been
proposing licensing of contrac-
tors for more than a year.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
States Attorney Leonard Hardy
said that over a period of years
an increasing number of $50
called home improvement con-
tractors" are taking advantage
of weak laws in this field.
we can give to homeowners," he
said. "is our sympathy because
we have no adequate law un-
der which to prosecute"
E. w Bucklin, director of the
County Department of Inspec-
tionS and Licenses, said he has
had to order homeowners to
tear down additional rooms and
carports because the contrac-
tors did the work without a
permit. He said he has reached
the conclusion that we're 60
ing to have to license home i'm
provement contractors and re-
quire bonds"
FAIRFAX COUNTY - Com
monwealth's Attorney Robert
&c. Fitzgerald said the main
problem with unscrupulous
home improvement contractors
is that they get the money
but just don't do the work. Be-
fore we can take action" he
added, "a lot of people have to
get hurt"
Dewey Croy, county building
inspector, said the problem will
get larger in the county as the
homes get older. He said this
is the time. to nail down the
problem before it gets too big
to be handled.
ARLINGTON COUNTY
Commemorative Attorney Will
liam j. Hassan said h. favorS
more regulation of any grour
able to take in the gullible
public"
Norbert Melnick, county di-
rector of inspections, said eve
don't have trouble with our
own contractors. The work
without a permit is usually
done by outside people. BY the
time we catch up with them
they might be in New York OF
Chicago. We can get a warrant
but we can't go after them. Fol
the protection of the public
and legitimate builders, I favor
, licensing and bonding of hnme