The Placer County District Attorney's Office warned that it and a state contractor licensing board will cooperate in conducting a sting targeting unlicensed contractors who offer or submit bids to repair or rebuild homes or structures for victims of the recent 49 fire.
It is against state law for any person to do contracting work totaling more than $500 in labor and materials without having a valid contractor's license, unless that person has been granted an exemption, the District Attorney's Office stated.
Sixty-three homes were destroyed during the Aug. 30 fire that spread across nearly 350 acres in north Auburn, off Highway 49.
Because the 49 fire was proclaimed a state of emergency by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, any violation by an unlicensed contractor for repair work could be prosecuted as a felony, according to a news release from the District Attorney's Office.
Assistant District Attorney Scott Owens said his office will prosecute unlicensed contractors "who prey upon the unwary."
The Placer County District Attorney's Office will partner with the Contractors State Licensing Board, which is planning to conduct sweep and sting operations in the Auburn area where homes were destroyed or damaged, the release states.
Those caught contracting without a license in a declared disaster area could face fines up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to three years, the release states.
More information is available at the state board's Web site, www.cslb.ca.gov, or by calling the CSLB at (800) 321-2752.
– Bee staff
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