Article: Proposed bill would tighten rules for contractors

Consumer complaints about slapdash and abandoned home improvement jobs have prompted lawmakers to draft legislation aimed at cracking down on unscrupulous contractors.

A joint judiciary subcommittee reviewed the provisions of the proposed bill during the monthly interim meetings Monday.

Among other measures, contractors would have to overcome a "rebuttable presumption" favoring consumers who file complaints over jobs worth more than $2,500.

"In a he said-she said dispute over what a contractor was supposed to do, the consumer would win," said David McMahon, a Charleston lawyer and consumer advocate.

The bill would also target contractors who set up new companies under different names or ...

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