N.J. Plumbers Fight Big-Box Law Loophole
BY ROBERT P. MADER
of CONTRACTOR’s staff TRENTON, N.J. —
The New Jersey Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors is calling on New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey to veto a section of a recently passed bill that exempts giant home-improvement retailers such as Home Depot, Lowe’s and Sears — and their employees — from new legal requirements for home-improvement contractors.The registration bill, as passed by the state House, covered all home-improvement contractors. The version that passed the state Senate, however, contained the big-box store loophole exempting any company with more than $50 million in sales.“A year ago, Home Depot paid the state more than $500,000 to settle an investigation by the Consumer Affairs Division into possible violations of the state’s Consumer Fraud Act, and just a month ago the attorney general announced that Sears, Roebuck was paying more than $625,000 to settle allegations that it defrauded customers in connection with the sale of four-wheel alignment services,” West noted. “Clearly the size of a retail operation alone cannot guarantee its honesty and responsibility.”According to the Division of Consumer Affairs, Home Depot paid the fine for allegedly violating the state’s consumer fraud laws in its home-improvement practices, advertising policies, deliveries and refunds. Home Depot did not admit wrongdoing.
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