Recent ice storms bring unwanted home repair scammers

• Regina Morrison Newman is the Shelby County Trustee.

Supplied the problems still left driving by the ice storm that strike Shelby County before this thirty day period, this subject is primarily timely.

So quite a few persons are working with problems to their properties from the ice storm – trees slipping on their residences, frozen pipes bursting and creating drinking water destruction, even fires brought about by electric power surges as MLGW bought electric power turned back on. Depending on the quantity and kind of injury, folks are determined to get it repaired. Enter the unscrupulous “home repair” folks.

Several periods we reach out to pals and spouse and children for suggestions. Most of the reputable people are booked for months if not months, specifically immediately after a weather conditions party like we had. Sadly, that leaves the fly-by-night time household fix scammers driving neighborhoods seeking for residences with hurt and supplying their companies. They promise to be readily available promptly and to do the get the job done for a lot less cash than the types you would have to wait around weeks for. Never be fooled.

Some will ask for revenue up front for “supplies” and vanish. They may possibly give you a handwritten “contract” with doubtful language that is open to interpretation about the amount of money in fact owed. Our seniors feel to be preferred targets of these people.

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In accordance to the Superior Business Bureau, in 2021, 22 “property enhancement” cons had been reported to our scam-tracker by Shelby County consumers for a reduction of $74,317.56.  All of these losses were noted by seniors. Most of these were storm chasers, or fly-by-night “contractors” who took dollars and by no means returned.