Plan it out: Many investors, especially newer investors, try to make their house the prettiest one on the block like they see on the tv shows. This will cost you big time. Your goal should be to bring the property up to date, not to gold plate it. If your new property is in a Joe Lunch box neighborhood, don’t try to make it look like the ones on TV’s Extreme Home Make Over. Kitchen cabinets can be sanded and re-painted. Adding some new hardware makes a dramatic change in the effect without spending a lot of time or money. If the cabinets need to be replaced you can often get a bargain on in stock cabinets at your local Home Depot or Loews. Vertical window treatments can be replaced fairly inexpensively. When buying the hardware, see if you can get a large box of knobs and hinges instead of buying them one packet at a time. Think about making your selections for appliances, cabinets, bath room fixtures, lighting, paint, etc. a duplicatable process so that you save time on the next job and so you begin to know what items should cost.
Bids: If you are not doing all of the work yourself, get at least 3 bids on everything. Even if you have a bunch of regular contractors that you deal with. To get a head start on the bidding process, you can use Service Magic online to start a flow of qualified contractors giving you bids. They can arrange to have at least four different contractors contact you and will gladly add more if you don’t like what you got from the first batch. Keep in mind, that when you find a contractor that you like… the one that seemed the most professional may not be the cheapest but you can absolutely tell him or her that they were not the lowest bid, but you would still like to use them if they can just match it. Most often, they will match it or come much closer to it just to get the work. This saves you money as well as gets you the contractor you really wanted to use.
Paint: you can buy “mistake” paints for several dollars a gallon, If you take all of the extra cans they have on the floor and throw them in a 5 gallon bucket, invariably, you will get a beige or taupe color. Just add some more white to lighten it to a shade you like. Put a little on the backs of several outlet plates so you have an example to use for matching if you need to have more blended in the future. The mistake paint may cost only three to five dollars a gallon but still give you a good quality paint. If you do not want to have to do all of the hard work of painting the exterior yourself, use your pressure washer to blast the outside of the house and then go to the local big box home improvement store and look for paint trucks (Any vehicle with paint splatters, a ladder with paint splatters or any type paint equipment.) Approach the drivers as they return and tell them you are looking for someone to paint the outside of the house either this week end or the following week end. Tell them the house is already pressure cleaned and will be ready to paint (You will need to mask off the windows the day before they get there). You have set them up for an easy extra pay check for just a little extra work. You provide the paint… they only need to show up.
There are numerous ways to pinch a penny. The best ways involve having others take care of the tasks that you either can not do yourself or just prefer not to do yourself. You will save a little money, some back breaking work, and speed up your whole process by not having to do it all yourself.
By: Kurt Wells
In an effort to catch dishonest contractors and put an end to their fraudulent actions, Pennsylvania has enacted the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act. As of July 1, 2009, the Act requires all contractors who perform $5,000 or more in home improvements annually to register with the Attorney General’s office. Registered contractors must now carry at least $50,000 of personal injury liability coverage and $50,000 of property damage coverage.
Registration with the Attorney General only costs $51, but the new law also affects remodelers in other ways. For instance, due to new requirements in the consumer-protection laws, construction contracts in Pennsylvania must be longer and become more detailed. This has a downside to contractors as a 17-page contract can appear mighty intimidating to a homeowner. The additional contract pages were added to include supplementary and updated clauses in Pennsylvania law. For instance, up to now, contractors were required to provide a single-page right-to-rescind clause in their contract. The new law identifies specific right-to-rescind language that has to appear in 10-point bold type directly above the signature line. The arbitration clause isn’t enforceable if this right-to-rescind notice doesn’t appear in 10-point bold type.
The new act also requires a long list of disclosures to appear in every contract – such as the start and finish date, names and addresses of subs, insurance coverage, and even a phone number for the Pennsylvania Bureau of Consumer Protection. Without these disclosures, a construction contract in Pennsylvania is null and void. Even worse, if a home improvement contractor doesn’t comply with the Home Improvement Protection Act, and a dispute occurs, the property owner has the right to recover thee times actual damages as well as attorney’s fees.
Home improvement contractors who don’t comply with the act should be prepared to work for free should something go wrong; the owner will have them over a barrel. And the fines are tough: if the work is for over $2,000, a violation can become a third degree felony.
The Pennsylvania Home Improvement Protection Act may end up misleading remodeling clients who often choose their remodeling contractor based on bid price. Contractors who don’t carry insurance are unlikely to register with the state. These contractors will have less overhead and will appear attractive to bargain-hunting homeowners as they can easily be the low bidder on many home improvement jobs. Registered contractors are required to carry liability and property damage insurance, increasing the overhead costs they must add to their bids.
Pennsylvania is unique in its stringent homeowner protection requirements on remodelers and contractors. For the contractor it represents a new burden: not only does he have to carry at least $50,000 of personal injury liability coverage and $50,000 of property damage coverage, he now has to hand a potential customer a 17-page contract that may be a deal breaker – even if it is required by Pennsylvania law. And for this contract he has to hire a lawyer well-versed in the changes in Pennsylvania contract law. The new law has made Pennsylvania lawyers very happy.
By: Bill Grote
Not many home improvement contractors get their day at the supreme court. But it happened in New Jersey earlier this year. And there’s a lesson here for residential contractors in many other states. I’ll explain.
Jo Anne and Tom Heath selected Czar, Inc., a Patterson, NJ cabinet shop, to install kitchen cabinets and woodwork in their new home. The Heaths weren’t happy with the cabinets Czar installed and refused to pay. Czar filed suit to collect. To this point, it’s a story you’ve heard many times. But this is where the case got interesting.
The Heaths knew a thing or two about New Jersey home improvement contract law. They knew Czar didn’t have a legal contract. They didn’t have to complain about the job. Instead, they could counter-claim over the contract. The Heaths filed suit in Morris County for damages, alleging violation of the Home Improvement Practices Act.
New Jersey Administrative Code sections 13:45A-16.1 to 16.2 (Home Improvement Practices) and New Jersey Administrative Code sections 13:45A-17.1 to 17.14 (Home Improvement Contractor Registration) require that all home improvement contracts for more than $500 be in writing and include very specific disclosures. Failure to include those disclosures in the written contract is a violation of New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act. Penalties include a full refund (New Jersey Statutes Annotated Section 56:8-2.11) or treble damages plus legal fees (New Jersey Statutes Annotated Section 56:8-19).
The Heath’s counter-claim put the case under New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act. The Heaths were in line to collect treble damages and their attorney fees – not because of any defect in the cabinets but because of a defect in the contract.
What should have been in that contract?
(1) The legal name, business address and registration number of the contractor.
(2) A certificate of commercial general liability insurance.
(3) The total price including any finance charges.
(4) A notice of the right to cancel.
Omit any of those from a home improvement or home repair contract and you’ve dropped into New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act: full refund, triple damages plus attorney fees.
Unfortunately for contractors, New Jersey isn’t unique in this respect. Many states give owners the right to collect for a defective home improvement or home repair contract: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts come to mind.
As for Czar, Inc. I doubt they got much satisfaction out of their day at the Supreme Court. The Heaths won, of course. It was an expensive lesson for Czar, Inc. Legal fees on the way to the New Jersey Supreme Court can run many times the cost of kitchen cabinets. Which proves a point I’ve made more than once on these pages: When a job goes bad, you better have a good contract.
By: Gary Moselle
With the ability she’s shown
And the determination she’s known,
The single black female
Is no longer waiting to exhale
Their even buying their own home.
Since 2003, single women were nearly twice as likely to buy homes as single men. Single women now make up the second-largest group of home buyers, according to a nationwide survey by the National Association of Realtors. This trend continues as we approach the year 2008.
From 1997 to 2002, single black women in many urban centers across America obtained more mortgage loans than single black men or even black couples. That’s right!
Because of increased earning power, better financial management and determination single women continue to widen the gap. Single African American women also continue to outpace single African American men in home purchasing and ownership.
Evidence of this trend comes from home improvement retailers such as Home Depot and others who target female homeowners with “Do-It-Herself” workshops. Over 200,000 women have taken the classes, ranging from decorating to how to use power tools and more.
Notice how more and more home improvement commercials from OSH, Loews and Home Depot include women as the main character. This is no accident.
According to a 2004 State of the Nation Housing report, homeownership is on the rise and single African American women play a large role. The report further states from 1994 to 2002, unmarried women accounted for 30 percent of homeowner growth.
The number of unmarried women owning homes climbed from 14 million to 17.5 million. This trend continues as more women see the importance of homeownership and feel no need to wait until they find a man to make the plunge into homeownership.
As a service to the many African American women who subscribe to the Black Homeowner Newsletter, I receive many questions from African American women. I took the time to pick out the top 5 most frequently asked questions from my women homeowner subscribers.
It is my hope these questions will help other women (and men) to be better homeowners. We’ve edited the questions for brevity and clarity.
___________________________________________________
Questions and Answers:
1. What’s the best way to find a dependable contractor?
Solution: The best way to find a dependable contractor is through the recommendations of trusted friends or family. The next best way is through research. Get at least 3 estimates from contractors and check references. Successful contractors always leave clues. If the contractor you hire doesn’t have a paper trail of successful and happy customers beware.
2. The contractor I hired didn’t do a good job, what should I do?
This is often the result of ignoring or neglecting the previous suggestions (See #1). But still many homeowners experience this problem.
Solution: Discuss the specific problem with your contractor. Show the visible problems to your contractor and insist they correct the problem before the project moves forward. Inspect the contractors work daily to make sure it is going and looking as planned. If the contractors work continues to be shoddy or sloppy, you may have grounds to withhold payment or take legal action.
3. As a single woman how can I avoid Contactors taking advantage of me?
Solution: As more single women buy and own homes (almost twice as much as single men now), this question comes up more and more in my emails.
The best way to make sure Contractors don’t see your womanhood as a weakness and try to take advantage of you is to be an informed consumer. In this case knowledge is power.
You have to do your homework, research and do your comparison-shopping. Know what you want, know the going price for what you want and know the terminology.
You can allow contractors to educate you on some technical aspect of the job, but they shouldn’t have to educate you on everything. When they sense you haven’t done your homework, the dishonest or unethical ones will take advantage of you. So your best defense is knowledge.
4. I am falling behind on my house payment, what should I do?
The first step to take is to contact your lender. Contrary to a popular belief of many African American homeowners, your Bank or lender doesn’t want your home. Especially the way the home loan climate is now.
Because the more foreclosed homes a lender takes back the worse it looks on their books, to their stockholders and to the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission. What your lender wants is the interest and principle paid back. Taking your house back is the last thing they want to do, but they’ll do it if they have to, but only as a last resort.
So your goal should be to show them reasons to still have faith in you. The first way is to contact them immediately if you think you’ll have a problem making a payment. Don’t let them contact you first. Tell them your problem and let them offer possible solutions first.
5. How can I update my home without spending a lot of money?
If you have a lot of ambitions for your home but don’t have a lot of money; the best way to approach this is by doing strategic improvements.
Improving key areas of your home where you’ll get the most bang for the buck. These key areas are your kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.
Conclusion
I hope these questions and answers serve to clarify and provide solutions you may face now or in the future. I will continue to share questions I receive from readers in the hope this will help you even if you didn’t have the time or inclination to write and ask the questions.
By: Roy Primm
All states tip the playing field in favor of property owners who contract for residential work. Nearly every state requires very specific notices and disclosures in residential construction contracts. Even the slightest defect in an agreement can have consequences – fines, revocation of a license, charges for attorney fees, no right to collect or even jail time. All of these penalties fall on the contractor. The property owner gets a free ride.
Penalties for a using a defective contract are different in every state. Some states, such as Hawaii, simply make the contract unenforceable. The contractor collects nothing. Other states give the contractor the right to collect some part of what’s owed, though not the full contract price.
A homeowner in Plainfield, Indiana suffered storm damage to the exterior of his home in 2007. As a favor to the homeowner’s brother, A local contractor signed a proposal for doing the repairs. The cost was $11,761.80. This simple act put the contractor hip deep in trouble. Here’s why.
Indiana’s Home Improvement Contracts Act requires ten very specific disclosures in home improvement and home repair contracts, even for small jobs like painting, fencing and landscaping. A home improvement contract that omits any of the ten disclosures isn’t enforceable under Indiana law.
In this case, the contractor made a major mistake. Two of the ten required disclosures were missing from the contract: the starting date and the completion date. And there was no written agreement on changes to the work. That made the contract unenforceable.
The contractor finished the job and the homeowner refused to pay – not a dime. The contractor sued in order to collect and the court agreed with the home owner. The contractor had no right to collect under the contract and Indiana law.
But the Indiana court wasn’t done. There’s a legal principle called quantum meruit. That’s Latin for “as much as he deserved.” In this case, the Indiana court decided the contractor deserved $10,761.80, a thousand dollars less than the contract price. After all this trouble, and his legal expenses, the contractor’s mistake in drafting this contract earned the homeowner a $1,000 discount.
Moral to the story: Don’t leave it up to a court to decide how much you deserve to be paid. Make sure that the contracts you use are enforceable in your state. It just makes sense.
By: Gary Moselle
Most articles, books and television shows give home improvement ideas to people,. This article is designed to give “homeowner” improvement ideas. With the housing market in such disarray, the need for homeowners to stay updated and informed is more important now than ever before. Homeowners not only need tips on how to improve their homes, but how to keep them maintained and affordable.
Here 5 Powerful homeowner improvement tips that will make your homeownership more enjoyable and rewarding.
1. Know Where Emergence Cut off Valves Are.
Because of the safety issue, I list this tip first. Make sure that you know where the main cut-off valves or switches are for the plumbing, electrical and gas systems. It surprising how many homeowners who have lived in their homes for years couldn’t tell you where the gas, plumbing, electrical and water shut off valves are in case of an emergency. Knowing where they are and how to shut them off could save you thousands of dollars in potential water damage, fire or even explosion.
2. Learn How to Do Minor Maintenance.
One secret of helping to keep your home up is to know how to do minor repairs and maintenance. Most people will wait until small maintenance jobs turn into major repairs to take action. This makes a home more expensive in the long run. It a smart to have a maintenance book around the house you can refer to, it’s a lot cheaper than having to call a carpenter, plumber or other contractor. But remember your limitations.
3. Use The Net To Your Advantage.
Thanks to the internet, it’s easier to be an informed homeowner now than ever before. Just with a simple mouse click you can check the reputation of contractors, loan companies, real estate agents and other home support companies. With a mouse click you can watch a video on how to install a bathroom faucet, sprinkler system or how to choose the best paint for your kitchen walls. Take advantage of this technology to become a better homeowner.
4. Read Your Paperwork.
Many homeowners have loan papers, insurance contracts, even contractor agreements and have little or no clue what they say or mean. If you haven’t already, make it a point to sit down and read word for word and line by line your loan papers, insurance contract, and any other important papers. If you have a problem with any of them call your agent and go over it with them, or find a friend or relative who can help you. I can’t tell you how many homeowners I’ve came across who was shocked and horrified. Why? They discovered something that was or wasn’t in their contract they assumed was. As a result they lost thousands of dollars in interest, insurance losses or other out of pocket expenses.
5. Keep Your Home Affordable.
This is a major concern with many people, especially as the housing crisis continues. Many peoples homes continue to decline in value or stay the same at best. As a result many people have made the mistake of over building for the neighborhood they are in. So, beware of this mistake.
If you take the time to follow these 5 simple steps you’ll find your homeowner improvement skills improving, no matter how long you’ve owned a home. As a result you’ll discover homeownership a more enjoyable and financially rewarding experience instead of a burden.
By: Roy Primm
Home improvement projects are not only great ways for the family to enjoy everyday in the most comfortable, functional, efficient and even luxurious way. These can also increase the saleability as well as profits that you get out of selling your home. If you are one among those homeowners who plan to let go of your New York property, then make the best out of this investment. So whether you are in Long Island, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, or Staten Island; take advantage of home improvements that pay back.
Though home improvements generally make your house more functional and appealing, not all will result to a return nor a power to attract that is universal. As you you will be spending a good amount of time, effort and money; it is crucial that you give enough thought on which projects best to undertake. The keywords would be clean and neutral to enhance the buyer’s thought of having the place as his or her own. To help you out prepare for a sale to engage multiple possible buyers, attract higher offers and sell in the shortest time possible.
Maximize Curb Appeal
When selling a house, first impressions do last. A dirty and unattractive yard has never been a good welcome especially to prospective buyers. If this is the first scene to greet them, chances of you enticing them to look further inside as well as closing the sale is definitely slim. Even if you have poured everything in beautifying the inside of your home, but has left the outside unattended, the negative impression will have a lingering effect on the person looking at the property and will eventually affect his/her decision. Other than tidying things up, here are other beneficial tasks to undertake:
replace damaged or missing shingles clean and align gutters and downspouts properly recaulk windows and doors clean chimney reseal driveway consider planting annual blooms in pots, place especially near the entrance
Freshen Up Your Kitchen and Bathroom
Being the most used areas of the house, the kitchen and bathroom are considered the key selling points to any residential property. But when undertaking kitchen and bathroom remodeling, keep in mind that spending too much is a big no-no. It would be unwise to be replacing major fixtures and features such as appliances and other such items and doing so will not pay off. The essentials to focus on include
replacing lighting, faucets and other visible and functional fixtures refacing cabinets hire professional cleaning service to get rid of stains, mildew on grout and watermarks
Keep It Looking “As Good As New”
Make sure to keep a good eye on damages or conditions that makes any area in the house look outdated or worn out. Evaluate every corner of the house, look out for the following and repair as needed:
chipped tile rusted faucets and sinks mold and mildew peeling or blistering paint beat up hardwood surfaces such as floors, cabinets, countertops and others leaks in the attic and basement broken moldings, windowpanes, door frames and other woodwork
By: Eugene G. Makeev
If you are a licensed B1 contractor in California, you probably know all about Cal B&P 7159. It’s caused more than a little grief for more than a few California contractors, some of them now former California contractors. Cal B&P 7159 is Sacramento’s effort to rewrite every contract for home improvement, remodeling and repair work throughout the state, adding about eight pages to even the shortest agreement.
If there was an award for legislative ineptitude, California would be among the prime contenders. Their $billion budget deficits put California in a class by itself. But this legislature that can’t shoot straight has no trouble targeting home improvement contractors. Cal B&P 7159 is the result.
A California contractor put it to me this way: “I’m a contractor. I’m not a lawyer. I shouldn’t have to hire a lawyer before taking on a kitchen or bath job. I value my reputation as a builder and have nothing but satisfied clients. That’s the best any contractor can do. But those guys at the state license board are looking for a way to pull my B1 ticket. Until that happens, I’m going to go on doing business on a handshake, and keep my fingers crossed.”
I can empathize, on two grounds. First, nothing the California legislature has done will add to the list of good, reputable, honest home improvement contractors. Second, I’m a California attorney and I agree completely, the crew for a kitchen or bath job shouldn’t require a lawyer.
My impression is that many – perhaps most – California residential contractors simply ignore the law, like my friend who’s keeping his fingers crossed. Their feeling: “The law is simply too complex and asks too much. Only a few dozen contractors get their license suspended each month. My chance of skating by is pretty good.”
True. But there’s another perspective. Suppose your homeowner client turns out to be a real nutcase. Or, suppose your client is a perfect angel but runs short of cash before the job is done. What then? Most likely, your dispute will end up on the desk of two attorneys, yours and your client’s.
When a job goes bad, your contract better be good.
Anything less and the attorney for your client is going to turn you every which way but loose. Doing home improvement work without a letter-perfect contract is like driving without a license. Nothing bad happens until something goes wrong. Then it can go very wrong.
If you don’t like the idea of finishing jobs and not getting paid, my advice is simple. Get your client’s signature on an enforceable contract before breaking ground. There’s a good selection of California home improvement contracts at http://construction-contract.net/list.php?state=CA. All are free downloads. And all comply with Cal B&P 7159.
By: Gary Moselle
Many home improvement contractors prefer to work under time and material (cost-plus) contracts. And for good reason. Surprises are common when remodeling or repairing an existing dwelling. With a cost-plus contract, a contractor doesn’t have to absorb the loss if there’s a surprise once work gets started.
But there’s a problem. Six states require that home improvement contracts show a total cost for the work in dollars and cents:
California — Business and Professions Code – 7159(d)(5).
Illinois — Compiled Statutes Title 815, – 513/15
Massachusetts — General Laws 142A, – 2(a)(5)
Nevada (residential pools only) — Administrative Code – 624.6958-2(f)
Pennsylvania — Statutes Title 73, – 517.7(a)(8)
Tennessee — Code Annotated – 62-6-508(a)(5)
Call the Attorney General’s office in any of these states and you’ll get the same answer: Contractors have to quote a total cost for home improvement work. Time and material contracts aren’t legal and can’t be enforced. According to the Attorney General’s office, a contractor who isn’t sure how much work is required should bid high enough to cover every contingency.
That makes little sense to contractors – and won’t win many accolades among home owners.
I get quite a few calls about this and usually describe three ways to around the problem. The first is to define the scope of work very precisely. Then list unit prices for extra work. For example, if it’s a roofing job, exclude from the basic agreement any removal and replacement of roof deck or flashing. Then quote a separate unit price per square foot or linear foot if deck or flashing has to be removed and replaced. Contracts like that work fine under the law in all six of these states. But this isn’t a true cost-plus (time and materials) contract. It’s a fixed price contract with some extra flexibility.
The second choice is to work for wages. Let the owner buy materials. Simply invoice for your time. Of course, this is not construction contracting. And it leaves the owner with liability for payroll taxes and insurance, a burden most owners aren’t willing to carry.
There’s a third choice that complies with both the letter and the spirit of the law in all six states. And it’s a true time and materials contract.
A Better Choice
Base your contract on the cost of time and materials – but also show a guaranteed maximum price (GMP). The GMP qualifies as a total cost in dollars and cents for the purpose of state law. Provide in the contract that cost savings (any cost less than the GMP) will be split between the contractor and the property owner. You decide how cost savings will be split, such as 50-50 or 80-20. Collect for the cost of time and materials at each progress payment. When the job is done, subtract the total of all payments from the GMP. That’s the cost savings – to be split between the contractor and the owner.
By: Gary Moselle
State laws are making it really tough on contractors by requiring specific disclosures and statements in their home improvement and construction contracts. The days of handshake agreements are over. Failure to include state-mandated disclosures or statements in a construction contract can result in fines, or make any construction contract null and void.
Many contractors are unaware of these state changes in the laws affecting contracts. Contractors typically run small businesses and put their emphasis on building to state codes rather than keeping track of legal changes required by state contract law. Many contractors still do business on a handshake or use a simple “boilerplate” one-size-fits-all contract that most-likely omits specific state requirements.
Some of the toughest states on construction contract requirements are Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Florida, and California.
Pennsylvania requires a long list of disclosures to appear in a construction contract – such as start and finish dates, names and addresses of subs, insurance coverage and a phone number for Pennsylvania Bureau of Consumer Protection. Omit these disclosures and your construction contract is unenforceable in Pennsylvania. Some clauses that are commonly found in home improvement contracts can actually render the contract unenforceable. Failure to comply with the state requirements is a misdemeanor if the contract is for a small job under $2,000. But if the job is a larger job – for over $2,000, a violation is a felony.
Texas requires that contractors deliver a 2-page disclosure statement before the construction contract is signed. Texas Property Code requires a notice in contracts for building or remodeling a residential property that qualifies as a homestead. Forget this notice and you’re liable for up to three times the actual damages plus attorney’s fees. Arbitration clauses in Texas construction contracts have to be in 10-point bold type, or they’re void.
New York requires a long list of specific disclosures in contracts for home improvement, home repair, and construction of custom homes contracts. Failure to comply brings a fine of $100 to $2,500.
New Jersey requires all home improvement contracts for more than $500 be in writing. Failure to comply can result in offering the property owner a full refund, or awarding three times any damages caused.
Florida requires a 3-day right to cancel in your contract or you’re subject to a $1,000 fine. Omission of the construction industry recovery fund notice in a contract risks a $500 fine.
California requires specific disclosures in every contract. Omit the ones required by sections 7030, 7159 or 7164 of the Business and Professions Code and you may be explaining to the State License Board why your license shouldn’t be pulled. If your contract doesn’t have the disclosures required by the Code of Federal Regulations section 460, you may be subject to a $11,000 fine! At best, you have no right to collect.
How can contractors protect themselves? Large construction companies hire lawyers to write their contracts. Smaller home improvement contractors have to figure out for themselves what they have to include in their contracts to make sure that they’re in compliance. A contract that doesn’t have all the disclosures required and that doesn’t meet all your state’s requirements is like not having a contract at all. Not only are you at the mercy of your customer’s goodwill, but you could be in trouble with the law.
By: Bill Grote
