Don’t fall vicitim to unregistered paving companies

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MERCHANT ALERT

08-21-12

DON’T FALL VICTIM TO UNREGISTERED PAVING COMPANIES

Putnam County Director of Consumer Affairs, Jean Noel, Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell and Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith issue this consumer alert:

Information received by law enforcement agencies throughout northern Westchester and Putnam Counties indicate that paving companies, that are not registered with the Putnam County Office of Consumer Affairs, may be operating in this area.  In the past, such illegitimate companies are known to have used faulty pavement materials, performed shoddy work, overcharged customers for completed work and/or failed to complete the specified work agreed upon between the consumer and the paving company.  In some cases, employees of these companies have been suspected of committing residential burglaries in the communities that they are working in.

Director Noel, County Executive Odell and Sheriff Smith are working together in keeping Putnam County the safest county in New York State.  They advise everyone to use caution when hiring home improvement contractors.  If approached by a paving contractor to solicit work, homeowners should contact the Office of Consumer Affairs at (845) 808-1617 ext 46128 to check if the company is properly registered to do work in this county before hiring them.  A list of bonafide registered contractors may also be obtained from the Office of Consumer Affairs.  A contractor conducting business in this county without being properly registered is committing a crime punishable by a prison term of up to one year in the Putnam County Correctional Facility and/or a $1,000 fine as determined by a court.

Anyone victimized by this type of scam is urged to call the Putnam County Office of Consumer Affairs, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation at (845) 225-8060 or your local police agency.