The importance of a licensed and bonded contractor

“Our recommendation is never allow anyone who shows up at your home unexpectedly to do any type of work for you.”  That’s the advice given by the Oconee Sheriff’s Office to lead off a rundown of the latest scams that have victimized unsuspecting county residents.  Deputies were alerted after a man tried to cash two large checks.  A bank employee requested the deputy conduct a welfare check on the account older.  Turns out a man came to a home, said he had to get rid of an excess amount of asphalt, and quoted a charge of a few hundred dollars.  He did the job, but then presented an invoice of $6,400.  A family member wrote the checks.  Master Deputy Jimmy Watt, sheriff’s PIO, says, “A very important point to keep in mind is that when you make an agreement with someone to do work, and money is exchanged, and some or all of the work is completed, and there is a problem, it will more than likely turn out that it will need to be settled as a civil issue, and not a criminal issue, if you can find the person who did the work for you to be able to serve them with papers to appear in court.”