Renovating your home can be a frustrating experience, especially if a contractor does a poor job or leaves you with an incomplete project. Adding to this frustration, sometimes legal proceedings end up revealing that a contractor has insufficient assets to properly compensate a homeowner for defective or incomplete work.
In Connecticut, there is help for homeowners dealing with insolvent contractors. Connecticut’s Home Improvement Guaranty Fund is a pool of money created by assessments from registered contractors to be used for satisfying unpaid judgments to homeowners. Homeowners may be eligible for up to $15,000 from the Fund if the following criteria are met:
- The contractor must have been registered with the Department of Consumer Protection
- The contract must have been for work on residential property
- The total price of work must exceed $200
- The consumer applies for Fund assistance within two years of receiving a favorable judgment and
- The consumer must have unsuccessfully attempted to collect the money by other means
If you are dealing with an insolvent home improvement contractor, please email Sam Fiano at sfiano@znclaw.com to schedule a free consultation to discuss your potential recovery under the Connecticut Home Improvement Guaranty Fund.
This article was co-authored by legal intern, Alyssa Ferreone. Alyssa is not yet admitted to the practice of law.