Home Improvement Contractor Accused Of Stiffing Homeowners Loses License; Matter Referred To Criminal Investigators For Possible Prosecution

In Florida, according to media reports:

• The [Florida] Construction Industry Licensing Board, acting on seven complaints from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, revoked the license of TransFlorida Corp. president Geoffrey C. Gill. It also ordered him to pay $283,970 —$230,000 in fines, $2,880 for investigative costs and $51,090 in restitution to the families, said Alexis Antonacci, a department spokeswoman. She said the board requested the cases be sent to the state attorney in each county where the families live for possible criminal charges. In addition to [four complaints from] South Florida, the other complaints decided Thursday were from Vero Beach, Deltona and Orlando. TransFlorida is based in Brevard County.

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• Gill, who faces administrative hearings on other complaints, could not be reached for comment. The complaints decided Thursday accused Gill of misconduct or of being incompetent as a contractor and of abandoning projects. Under Florida law, a contractor who receives a deposit of more than 10 percent of the contract must apply for permits to do the work within 30 days and, after the permits are issued, start the work within 90 days. In one Pembroke Pines case decided Thursday, Laszlo Dan said he gave TransFlorida $10,500 for a new roof in July 2006 and no work was done. Later, a subcontractor put a lien against Dan's home because TransFlorida didn't pay for $7,350 worth of materials.

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• More than 100 consumers have filed complaints about Transflorida with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Twenty-four other cases are also pending against Gill with the department. Other complaints include accusations of abandoning projects.

For more, see (links no longer available online):

• South Florida Sun Sentinel: Contractor who didn't do Broward jobs ordered to repay customers,
• Florida Today: Home remodeler gets license yanked, told to pay up ("[T]he state attorney general has appointed an assistant statewide prosecutor to explore possible criminal charges against Gill and other officers of Transflorida."),
• Florida Today: Our view: Pay up, pal (Fraudulent Rockledge company that ripped off homeowners deserves tough penalty).

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