When you think of a “storm chaser” you may
picture a person in a news van driving
furiously into a tornado to capture footage, following the storm from town to town. What
you may not know, is a “storm chaser” is also a term used for someone who tries
to rob you of your money and make empty promises
to repair your roof after a catastrophe
hits.
A storm chaser is just that -- they roll into
town after a storm rolls out, posing as legitimate roofing contractors. They
promise to do work to repair your roof,
and many times will require a down payment, or
full payment in advance. Then, they’re gone. With your money in-pocket, and
your roof still awry. So how can you protect
yourself from these scammers? Read below to learn more.
What do I need to know before hiring a roofing
contractor?
Find a reputable roofing company - Preferably one local to your area. You may
have neighbors or coworkers who
have used this company before who had a good experience. Word of mouth is the
best form of advertising, especially from people you trust. If someone approaches
your home with a flyer and offers you a free estimate and
says they can start tomorrow without you reaching out to them, put your guard
up and do more research.
Once you do find a roofer that you are
interested in, pay a visit to their office location - While you shouldn’t be expecting a glamorous office, having an office to begin with is a good sign. Drop by to check
out their location, and while you’re there...
Double check their insurance - One of the most important things you need to be aware of is that
once you verbally agree to doing business with a roofing contractor, they must supply
you with a written contract that will include the following:
- Name of their business
insurer
- Type of insurance coverage they have and their policy
limits
- A certificate of Workers’ Compensation covering all employees that
will be working on your home
- A Certificate of General Liability Insurance in the
amount of $100,000 per person, $300,000 per occurrence for bodily injury
- A Certificate of Property Damage Insurance in the
amount of $50,000 for each occurrence and aggregate
You do not owe them any money up front - According to Section 771-b of the General Business Law, you are not required to provide any form of payment upfront. If
someone is demanding you pay them any amount up front, it’s safe to assume you
are being scammed.
Also, updated laws state that roofing
contractors cannot offer or promise to pay or rebate any of the owners’
insurance deductible as an inducement to the sale. This rebate includes
offering a discounted fee, gift, prize, bonus, coupon, credit, referral fee or
other item of monetary value.
Laws are changing
On November 25, 2019, NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo
signed new consumer protections into law to protect us from “storm chasers. The
updates included updating the
description of a “roofing contractor” to include that they must be a
roofing professional who will enter into written contract and who will be
required to disclose proof of insurance and policy limits.
Those additions make for a safer bet that they will responsibly get the job
done for you.
Ultimately, be vigilant -- Unfortunately, sometimes people do things with only their
intentions in mind. Be cautious when hiring someone for any job around your home,
especially the big ticket items. If you feel like something is off, go with
your gut! New laws were put in place to
better protect homeowners from these types of scams, but always be aware and
knowledgeable in whatever undertaking you are paying someone to accomplish for
you on your property.
