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Let
us imagine that you are simply
the owner of an older, perhaps
historic building, and wish
to contract for its exterior
restoration.
Where would you start? What would you do?
One
way would be to hire a qualified
preservation professional,
tell him to use his own good
judgment and to call you when
the job is finished. If you
hire the right person, and
he or she is on the job just
about every day to supervise
what is done and make decisions
on the go as new
situations develop, then you
can rightfully expect good
results.
All jobs should receive such careful attention
- unfortunately not all do....
Specifying_Exterior_Restoration_in_the_Real_World
Residents
can check on contractors by
calling the Attorney General's
Consumer Fraud Hot Line at
(800) 386-5438 to see if any
consumer complaints have been
filed.
The
following article appeared
in the Elgin Courier News 11/23/2007
Homeowners
Nailed By Repair Fraud.
How
to
avoid
home
repair
scams
. Get written estimates from more than one contractor.
. Research companies before hiring one, making
sure it has a local connection.
. Make sure the contract is specific about the
job, time frame and cost.
. If the contract is signed at your residence,
you have three business days to cancel it.
. Beware of high-pressure sales tactics and dramatically
low estimates.
. Beware of contractors who can't provide proof
of insurance, don't carry identification, require
cash payments, or asks for full payment before
completing the job.
. Consult the Better Business Bureau at http://chicago.bbb.org.
Source: Illinois Attorney General's Office
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