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Mass Consumer Affairs Blog
The Official Blog of the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
The days are getting shorter, and the nights are getting a lot colder. As New Englanders we are beginning to switch the items in our wardrobes from light weight tee-shirts to heavy cardigans. This fall your closet should not be the only room in the …Continue Reading Winter is Coming, Are You Ready?
When it comes to residential contracting, home improvement contractors and homeowners go hand in hand. You may know about Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration but there’s always more to learn! In the last blog of our five-part, “HIC-Easy as 1-2-3” blog series, we explore HIC …Continue Reading HIC—Easy As 1-2-3! Part 5: Contractors
In parts one and two of our “HIC-Easy as 1-2-3!” blog series you learned about the Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) law and how to apply for the Arbitration program. Now we’ll cover the fund that may reimburse a homeowner with an unpaid final judgment against …Continue Reading HIC—Easy as 1-2-3! Part 3: Guaranty Fund
After the ink is dry on your home improvement contract and the job is underway, sometimes things don’t go as planned. Thankfully, the Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) law Arbitration program allows homeowners and registered contractors the opportunity to seek a resolution should a dispute arise. …Continue Reading HIC—Easy as 1-2-3! Part 2: Arbitration
If you are a home improvement contractor or homeowner in Massachusetts, we’ve got you covered with our introductory guide to understanding the Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) programs – from both perspectives, the homeowner’s and contractor’s. This introduction to HIC programs is the first of our …Continue Reading HIC— Easy as 1-2-3! Introduction
Last month, the Consumer Federation of America published a list of their top ten consumer complaints. In it, they named many of the issues that the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulations keeps consumers informed about, ranging from auto complaints to fraud and scams. …Continue Reading Chances Are, You’ve Had to Deal with One of These 5 Consumer Issues
In Part I of this series, I gave homeowners three tips for avoiding circumstances that will disqualify them from the Guaranty Fund. In today’s post, I give three more tips. To be eligible for the Guaranty Fund, you must submit your written Guaranty Fund Application …Continue Reading Common Disqualifying Criteria for the Guaranty Fund: Part II
One of the most important programs administered by the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation is the Home Improvement Contractor Guaranty Fund. If a homeowner incurs actual losses during a transaction with a registered home improvement contractor and successfully sues their contractor, but the …Continue Reading Common Disqualifying Criteria for the Guaranty Fund: Part I
Contractors are expected to have a basic understanding of what projects require a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration. When asked, most contractors can recite that projects exceeding $1,000 in value involving “pre-existing, owner-occupied, one-to-four-family residences” require an HIC registration. We all know what a pre-existing …Continue Reading How to Determine Whether a Home is Owner Occupied
This past November, I staffed the Office of Consumer Affairs’ booth at the Architecture Boston Expo (ABX), where we distributed brochures on the basic rules for home improvement contractors. The trade show was well attended by contractors and I answered many of their questions. As …Continue Reading A Good Sign: Demystifying the HIC Requirements for Advertising
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2020