A large-scale driveway paving scam appears to be making its way across Connecticut.
Acting on a surge of consumer complaints beginning in mid-July about unregistered pavers and shoddy or unfinished paving work, the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) launched a statewide investigation, and recently arrested two of the men associated with the group.
DCP investigators and officers from the North Haven Police Department collaborated on the arrest of Miley and Patrick Delaney for breaking state home improvement laws. Both men listed a Wallingford hotel as their address.
Miley Delaney was charged with employing an unregistered salesperson, failure to display a tax permit and failure to provide the consumer with the three-day notice of cancellation. Patrick Delaney was charged with offering to make home improvements without a current salesperson registration, failure to display a tax permit and failure to provide the consumer with the three-day notice of cancellation.
These two individuals are just the first in a continuing investigation that may result in more arrests of driveway pavers working here without the required registration or otherwise out of compliance with Connecticut law, DCP Commissioner Edwin R. Rodriguez Commissioner Rodriguez said. Meanwhile, consumers should be especially careful about whom they choose for their paving work.
According to Rodriguez, victims of the scam all told DCP interviewers similar stories about the pavers and their work. The groups salespeople (who are not registered with DCP as required by law) go door to door soliciting business from homeowners. Workers do much of the work by hand -- little or no heavy paving equipment is used.
Several customers also complained that the workers only removed part of the driveway, and often only a very thin layer of asphalt was applied. In at least two cases, a consumers driveway was chopped up in preparation for the new layer of asphalt, but the workers left the job -- and the demolished driveway -- and never returned.
The group is basing its operations from various mail drop locations across the state. Local law enforcement authorities have been notified, and several local police departments are preparing arrest warrant applications for members that they have found working in their towns.
I want to remind consumers to ask all contractors for their name and registration numbers before considering any offers of home improvement work, and to verify with the Department of Consumer Protection that both the salesperson and the company are registered, Rodriguez said. Its also important to ask DCP whether the contractors have any complaints against them.
In Connecticut, consumers may verify the status of a contractor by calling DCP at 800-842-2649 or 860-713-6110. The Department also urges consumers to get a written contract from the contractor, and that both they and the contractor sign it. The contract must include the transaction date, a complete description of the work to be done, the name and address of the contractor, a three day notice of cancellation clause, a start and completion date. Contracts must be entered into only by a registered contractor or salesman. Very importantly, consumers should never agree to any home improvement job without asking for and thoroughly checking other customer references.
