ANOTHER
FAILED STATE AGENCY
THE
REGISTRAR OF CONTRACTORS (ROC)
In 2013, we had a plumbing problem and hired a
local contractor to repair the house damages it caused. In 2013, the Arizona
Auditor, Debbie Davenport, audited the ROC and stated that is was failing to
protect homeowners. The audit findings were:
the ROC improperly closed complaints, delayed paying from the Recovery
Fund, and poorly kept records (20% ROC records were missing or duplicated plus
40,000 ROC records had inaccurate information). We found that true because the
ROC had failed to update its website and failed to properly notify the public
that our contractor (owner of a plumbing and general contracting company) had
no Qualified Party (state approve licensed contractor). He never should have
bid our job.
Arizona Audit of the ROC: Performance Audit, Registrar of Contractors 2013 :: Arizona State Government Publications
Since then we filed a complaints with the ROC
about the contractor's poor workmanship. The ROC failed to follow proper
procedures and closed our complaints without a real investigation. Governor Ducey
has replaced the former ROC director, Bill Mundell, with Jeff Fleetham but we
are not seeing any real positive changes. In fact, our investigation has
revealed that our bad contractor has failed to get proper building permits for
years. We were just cited by Maricopa County Building Permit Inspectors for not
having the proper permits not properly obtained by our former contractor for
the installation of a hot water heater and for the plumbing rerouting and
repair. We have to pay hundreds of dollars for the building permits or face
huge fines.
We have written the ROC, state lawmakers, and
Governor Ducey but we have received no reply. Meanwhile our contractor
continues to scam the seniors with poor workmanship while failing to obtain
proper building permits. The homeowners need to be aware that the ultimate
responsibility of getting building permits are theirs and that if it is not
done properly it could stop the sale of the home or lower the house value. The
seniors in the Sun Cities area need to know that the ROC continues to fail to
protect them.
Two of our suggested reasons for the ROC's failures are:
1. The
ROC is funded by contractor dues and fees, so it is pro contractor.
2. The
ROC Recovery Funds Trust is drained by the state lawmakers into the general
fund, so the ROC looks for ways not to pay the homeowners.
We suggest to check with PORA or SCHOA before
hiring a contractor. We suggest you call your local state lawmakers, they are
aware of this problem, and demand that they get the ROC to better protect the
homeowners from unscrupulous contractors.
The public needs to know that ARIZONA is failing to protect
homeowners from crooked contractors.
DOCUMENTATION
BUILDZOOM.COM:
MARICOPA COUNTY REQUIRES BUILDING PERMITS
FOR THE BELOW AREAS OF CONSTRUCTION:
FULL STORY
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