NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Homeowners, beware!
That's the warning from the State Contractors Board as unlicensed contractors are scamming valley residents.
Ninety year old Roberta Carlson and her daughter, Roxanne, have lived in their backyard casita for almost two years after an illegal contractor ruined their home.
"The condition in this house was unbearable, I could not believe it," said Nevada contractor, Louis Polish.
Polish volunteers his time with the State Contractors Board. He helps repair extreme damage done by unlicensed contractors. He says when he and the other volunteers saw Carlson's home, he was shocked.
For the last several months, Polish and over 60 volunteers from 20 different companies have been remodeling the Carlson property which had sustained over $200,000 worth of damage. He says the two previous contractors left the house torn apart which also caused a huge rat infestation.
"Bathrooms, cabinets, the whole showers, tubs everything was ripped out. All the electrical was chewed apart from the rats," he said. "The rats did a lot of damage as well."
The family originally wanted to get rid of a mold problem. One of the contractors they hired was unlicensed for the work.
Executive officer of the Nevada State Contractors Board, Margi Grein, told KTNV unlicensed contractors are a common problem in the valley and warns consumers to be alert and protect their investments.
"Don't pay upfront, make sure to check their references and check to see if they have a license with the contractor's board," said Grein.
Thanks to the generosity of the volunteers, the Carlson's will be able to move back into their repaired home in a matter of days.
The Nevada State Contractors Board says to do research when hiring anyone to work on your home, and always hire a licensed contractor.
