The Storm Chaser Bill (S.1405/A.7531) sponsored by New York State Sen. David Carlucci (D-Rockland/Westchester) was signed into law Nov. 25 and aims to take measures against unscrupulous roofing contractors who prey on homeowners after natural disasters and perform shoddy work or no work at all, according to nysenate.gov.
The bill enacts comprehensive consumer protections for homeowners. It mandates that roofing contractors in New York state must have a written contract with a homeowner and allow the homeowner to cancel a contract within three days if a repair claim is denied. The legislation also prohibits roofing contractors from advertising rebates toward the cost of a deductible or requiring a deposit of more than 50% of the total cost of the job.
“New York must always protect homeowners, especially after a natural disaster when they are most vulnerable to unscrupulous contractors,” Carlucci says. “This legislation will hold contractors accountable and stop scammers from ripping off homeowners. Thank you to Governor Cuomo for signing this bill into law.”
After Hurricane Sandy, the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery confirmed 171 cases of contractor fraud, which resulted in millions of dollars stolen from New York homeowners.
The Storm Chaser Bill will take effect six months after being signed into law.
