Pinellas County Consumer Protection helps unlicensed contractor victims file charges, receive restitution

A Pinellas County Consumer Protection investigation recently led to charges against an unlicensed contractor and $6,000 in restitution for a Palm Harbor couple.

Last year, the Palm Harbor couple planned to have their home renovated but were having a hard time finding a contractor. After discussing with a family friend, who they believed to be a licensed contractor, the couple entered into a $17,900 agreement for a complete remodel of their guest bathroom, replacement of two exterior doors and new tile flooring throughout.

While construction was underway, they stayed with an out-of-town family member, but visited the home often to check on progress. From the start, they were not happy with the quality of the work being done. They discovered that the tile installation in the bathroom needed to be redone and suspected the contractor may have caused a plumbing leak that necessitated even more expense. In addition to this, one of the homeowners received a literal shock when they attempted to use a new outlet the contractor made by unscrewing the outlet from its protective housing, flipping it upside down and sealing the wall back up.

After completing a majority of the work, the contractor told the couple he had to leave the project and presented them with a final bill in the amount of $17,378, which they paid. As they arrived home and got a closer look at contractor’s work, they realized most would need to be completely redone, which led to them paying a second, licensed contractor, over $8,000 to fix and complete the project.

After this, the couple filed a complaint with Pinellas County Consumer Protection. Our team investigated and shared their recommendation with the State Attorney’s Office, who filed three misdemeanor charges against the contractor; two unlicensed contracting charges and one charge for not obtaining a permit prior to commencing construction.

In September 2023, the contractor pled guilty to the charges and was ordered to pay $6,000 in Restitution to the couple and another $790 in fees and fines.

Protect, Regulate, Investigate, Educate

Sometimes it is hard to spot fraud when it is happening. Scams can be large or small, sophisticated, or simple, but the people behind them have two things in common: They want to steal your money and avoid being caught. The reality is anyone could fall victim to a scam, no matter your age, intellect, or economic status. Most consumer transactions are completed satisfactorily. On occasion, however, any consumer could experience unresolved problems such as defective products, erroneous bills or non-delivery of goods or services.

When you are confronted with such a situation, the dedicated employees of Pinellas County Office of Consumer Protection are here to assist you. Investigators are available to speak with you regarding a consumer transaction at (727) 464-6200 or via email at: consumer@pinellas.gov

You may also go to our page Find a Business Complaint History to check our 5-year business complaint history.