Connecticut General Statutes 20-427 – Holder to exhibit and advertise certificate, when. Prohibited acts. Penalties. Certificates generally not transferable. Expiration. Renewal. Building permits
(a) Each person engaged in making home improvements shall (1) exhibit his certificate of registration upon request by any interested party, (2) state in any advertisement the fact that he is registered, and (3) include his registration number in any advertisement.
Attorney's Note
Under the Connecticut General Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class A misdemeanor | up to 1 year | up to $2,000 |
| Class B misdemeanor | up to 6 months | up to $1,000 |
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 20-427
- another: may extend and be applied to communities, companies, corporations, public or private, limited liability companies, societies and associations. See Connecticut General Statutes 1-1
- Certificate: means a certificate of registration issued under section 20-422. See Connecticut General Statutes 20-419
- Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Consumer Protection or any person designated by the commissioner to administer and enforce this chapter. See Connecticut General Statutes 20-419
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Contractor: means any person who owns and operates a home improvement business or who undertakes, offers to undertake or agrees to perform any home improvement. See Connecticut General Statutes 20-419
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Home improvement: includes , but is not limited to, the repair, replacement, remodeling, alteration, conversion, modernization, improvement, rehabilitation or sandblasting of, or addition to any land or building or that portion thereof which is used or designed to be used as a private residence, dwelling place or residential rental property, or the construction, replacement, installation or improvement of alarm systems not requiring electrical work, as defined in section 20-330, driveways, swimming pools, porches, garages, roofs, siding, insulation, sunrooms, flooring, patios, landscaping, fences, doors and windows, waterproofing, water, fire or storm restoration or mold remediation in connection with such land or building or that portion thereof which is used or designed to be used as a private residence, dwelling place or residential rental property or the removal or replacement of a residential underground heating oil storage tank system, in which the total price for all work agreed upon between the contractor and owner or proposed or offered by the contractor exceeds two hundred dollars. See Connecticut General Statutes 20-419
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Person: means an individual, partnership, limited liability company or corporation. See Connecticut General Statutes 20-419
- Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
- Salesman: means any individual who (A) negotiates or offers to negotiate a home improvement contract with an owner, or (B) solicits or otherwise endeavors to procure by any means whatsoever, directly or indirectly, a home improvement contract from an owner on behalf of a contractor. See Connecticut General Statutes 20-419
(b) No person shall: (1) Present or attempt to present, as such person’s own, the certificate of another, (2) knowingly give false evidence of a material nature to the commissioner for the purpose of procuring a certificate, (3) represent himself or herself falsely as, or impersonate, a registered home improvement contractor or salesman, (4) use or attempt to use a certificate which has expired or which has been suspended or revoked, (5) offer to make or make any home improvement without having a current certificate of registration under this chapter, (6) represent in any manner that such person’s registration constitutes an endorsement of the quality of such person’s workmanship or of such person’s competency by the commissioner, (7) employ or allow any person to act as a salesman on such person’s behalf unless such person is registered as a home improvement salesman, or (8) fail to refund the amount paid for a home improvement within ten days of a written request mailed or delivered to the contractor’s last-known address, if no substantial portion of the contracted work has been performed at the time of the request and more than thirty days has elapsed since the starting date specified in the written contract, or more than thirty days has elapsed since the date of the contract if such contract does not specify a starting date.
(c) In addition to any other remedy provided for in this chapter, (1) any person who violates any provision of subsection (b) of this section, except subdivision (8), shall be guilty of a class B misdemeanor and (2) any person who violates the provisions of subdivision (8) of subsection (b) of this section shall be guilty of a class B misdemeanor if the home improvement that is offered or made has a total cash price of ten thousand dollars or less and shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor if the home improvement that is offered or made has a total cash price of more than ten thousand dollars. Notwithstanding subsection (d) or (e) of section 53a-29 or section 54-56e, if the court determines that a contractor cannot fully repay his victims within the period of probation established in subsection (d) or (e) of section 53a-29 or section 54-56e, the court may impose probation for a period of not more than five years. A violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed an unfair or deceptive trade practice under subsection (a) of section 42-110b.
(d) The commissioner may, after notice and hearing in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, impose a civil penalty on any person who engages in or practices the work or occupation for which a certificate of registration is required by this chapter without having first obtained such a certificate of registration or who wilfully employs or supplies for employment a person who does not have such a certificate of registration or who wilfully and falsely pretends to qualify to engage in or practice such work or occupation, or who engages in or practices any of the work or occupations for which a certificate of registration is required by this chapter after the expiration of such person’s certificate of registration or who violates any of the provisions of this chapter or the regulations adopted pursuant thereto. Such penalty shall be in an amount not more than five hundred dollars for a first violation of this subsection, not more than seven hundred fifty dollars for a second violation of this subsection occurring not more than three years after a prior violation, not more than one thousand five hundred dollars for a third or subsequent violation of this subsection occurring not more than three years after a prior violation and, in the case of radon mitigation work, such penalty shall be not less than two hundred fifty dollars. Any civil penalty collected pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited in the consumer protection enforcement account established in section 21a-8a.
(e) Certificates issued to home improvement contractors or salesmen shall not be transferable or assignable, except when the holder of the certificate changes only the name or type of business entity of such business.
(f) All certificates issued under the provisions of this chapter shall expire annually on March thirty-first, except that certificates which expire on November 30, 2021, shall be renewed on November 30, 2021, and expire on March 31, 2022. The fee for renewal of a certificate shall be the same as the fee charged for an original application, except that for certificates which expire on March 31, 2022, a prorated renewal fee shall be charged to reflect the portion of the year for which the certificate will be active.
(g) The renewal fee for a certificate of registration as a home improvement contractor acting solely as the contractor of record for a registration as a home improvement contractor acting solely as the contractor of record for a corporation, shall be waived, if such contractor uses such registration for the sole purpose of directing, supervising or performing home improvements for such corporation.
(h) Failure to receive a notice of expiration or a renewal application shall not exempt a contractor or salesman from the obligation to renew.
(i) No contractor shall commence work unless each applicable building or construction permit has been obtained as may be required under the general statutes or local ordinances.