10/10/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/10/2024 15:18
Many areas in the county have incurred severe property damage because of back-to-back impacts from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Pinellas County Consumer Protection wants to remind residents to be cautious when hiring someone to make repairs. Avoid becoming a victim of a home improvement scam by recognizing these warning signs:
Keep the following tips in mind to ensure that your repairs are completed satisfactorily:
Florida's Disaster Contractors Network (DCN) has been activated to support homeowners who may need help with emergency home repairs. DCN is a free resource founded by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) designed to connect homeowners with licensed contractors and suppliers to perform emergency repairs. DCN also prevents homeowners from being preyed upon by unlicensed contractors through proactive education and outreach efforts. DBPR is the state agency that licenses and oversees Florida's more than 87,000 construction industry licensees.
How it works: Once homeowners are safely able to assess their home repair needs, they are encouraged to log onto DCNOnline.org and search by county for a list of Florida-licensed contractors in their local community who are providing these services.
For Contractors/Suppliers: While many Florida contractors and suppliers have already registered, there is still an opportunity for additional licensed contractors and suppliers to log onto DCNOnline.org to register their licensed company.
With the inclusion of Pinellas County in the Governor's declaration of a state of emergency, residents are protected by the state's price gouging law. Consumer Protection encourages residents who suspect price gouging to report it to authorities.
Effective only during a declared state of emergency, the price gouging law prohibits sharp increases in the price of essential commodities, such as food, water, shelter, ice, gasoline, lumber and equipment that is needed as a direct result of an official declared emergency. Violators are subject to civil penalties of $1,000 per violation, up to a total of $25,000 for multiple violations committed in a single 24-hour period.
Residents who suspect local price gouging can report it to Pinellas County Consumer Protection at (727) 464-6200 (beginning Monday, Oct. 14) or online at www.pinellas.gov/consumer and are also encouraged to report it to the Attorney General's hotline at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM.
Be wary of solicitations for charitable contributions on behalf of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
All charities soliciting within Florida - excluding religious, educational, political and governmental entities - are required to register and file financial information with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. To check whether a charitable organization is properly registered, visit Check-A-Charity, which provides information reported to the department.
Here are additional recommendations from Consumer Protection: