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CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY LICENSING BOARD vs JAMES RANDOLPH O?BRIEN, 97-000906 (1997)
Division of Administrative Hearings, Florida Filed:Plantation, Florida Feb. 27, 1997 Number: 97-000906 Latest Update: Jul. 16, 1997

The Issue Whether Respondent committed the violations alleged in the Amended Administrative Complaint? If so, what punitive action should be taken against Respondent?

Findings Of Fact Based upon the evidence adduced at hearing, and the record as a whole, the following Findings of Fact are made: Respondent is a plumbing contractor. He is now, and has been at all times material to the instant case, licensed to engage in the plumbing contracting business in the State of Florida. His license number is CF C020307. At all times material to the instant case, Respondent was the primary qualifying agent for A'Aabbott, a plumbing contracting business located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In August of 1992, A'Aabbott entered into a written contract (Contract) with Nereo Agostinelli in which it agreed, for $3,225.00, "[t]o furnish labor and materials to install [on Agostinelli's property in Plantation, Florida a] 600 sq. ft. drain field to all codes at standard practice." Respondent signed the Contract on behalf A'Aabbott. His license number, however, was not written or otherwise displayed on the Contract. The Contract contained the following warranty provision: "3 year conditional warranty-must upkeep interior plumbing." Agostinelli paid the $3,225.00 Contract price by check. A'Aabbott thereafter installed a 600 square foot drain field on Agostinelli's property, as it had agreed to do. Approximately two days after it had been installed (which was within the three-year warranty period), the system failed and raw sewage backed up into Agostinelli's residence on the property. The system failed because pipe that A'Aabbott had installed as part of the project had been cracked during installation by a large rock and had become clogged with soil and therefore could not carry effluent to the drain field. The "interior plumbing" that Agostinelli was required maintain as a prerequisite to his receiving the benefit of the Contract's "3 year conditional warranty" did not cause the failure of the system. Agostinelli made numerous attempts to contact A'Aabbott and request that it fix the problem, as A'Aabbott was required to do under the Contract. When Agostinelli spoke with Respondent, Respondent told him that A'Aabbott had no intention of doing anything further for him. Although A'Aabbott was made aware of the system's failure, it failed to take any action to repair the system. Sewage continued to back up into Agostinelli's residence. On three occasions, Agostinelli had Raider Rooter Sewer and Drain Cleaning, Inc., (Raider Rooter) come to his residence and remove sewage. The total cost to Agostinelli of Raider Rooter's services was $355.00. Agostinelli would not have incurred these costs had the system installed by A'Aabbott not failed. Having been unsuccessful in his efforts to have A'Aabbott honor its warranty under the Contract, Agostinelli contracted with B and N Dozing and Bobcat Service (B and N), on or about March 23, 1993, to make the necessary repairs to the system. He paid B and N $670.00 to make these repairs. There have not been any problems with the system since it was repaired by B and N.

Recommendation Based on the foregoing Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, it is RECOMMENDED that the Department issue a final order: (1) finding Respondent guilty of the violations of Chapter 489, Florida Statutes, alleged in Counts I and II of the Amended Administrative Complaint, and (2) fining Respondent $1,100.00 for having committed these violations and requiring him to pay $1,025.00 to Agostinelli in restitution and to reimburse the Department for all reasonable costs associated with the Department's investigation and prosecution of the charges set forth in the Amended Administrative Complaint. DONE AND ENTERED this 16th day of July, 1997, in Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida. STUART M. LERNER Administrative Law Judge Division of Administrative Hearings The DeSoto Building 1230 Apalachee Parkway Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3060 (904) 488-9675 SUNCOM 278-9675 Fax Filing (904) 921-6847 Filed with the Clerk of the Division of Administrative Hearings this 16th day of July, 1997.

Florida Laws (8) 120.569120.5717.002489.105489.115489.119489.1195489.129 Florida Administrative Code (5) 61G4-12.01861G4-17.00161G4-17.00261G4-17.00361G4-17.005
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DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE vs ATLANTIC COAST FIRE EQUIPMENT, INC., 00-002924 (2000)
Division of Administrative Hearings, Florida Filed:Fort Lauderdale, Florida Jul. 17, 2000 Number: 00-002924 Latest Update: Sep. 24, 2024
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DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION vs STIRLYN BOWRIN, 08-001106 (2008)
Division of Administrative Hearings, Florida Filed:Tampa, Florida Mar. 03, 2008 Number: 08-001106 Latest Update: Oct. 08, 2008

The Issue The issues to be resolved in this proceeding concern whether the Respondent committed the charged violations of Sections 489.127(1)(f) and 489.531(1), Florida Statutes, as set forth in the Administrative Complaint, and, if so, what if any penalty is warranted.

Findings Of Fact On or about December 11, 2006, the Respondent entered into a contract with Ms. Carolyn H. Wilson for remodeling work, at Ms. Wilson's home in St. Petersburg, Florida. The scope of the work included in the Respondent's "Quotation" or their agreement, involved structural work, plumbing, and electrical work. The Respondent presented himself as being properly licensed for the work which he contracted to perform at Ms. Wilson's property. The Respondent had dictated the terms of the agreement or contract to Mr. Caleb Alfred who wrote the terms required by the Respondent into the "Quotation" form provided by the Respondent. Mr. Alfred was paid a $200.00 commission for referring Ms. Wilson and her job to the Respondent. Mr. Alfred is not affiliated in any way with the Respondent, however, and was a coworker at a local school with Ms. Wilson, who was the Assistant Principal. Ms. Wilson understood that she was contracting for work to be done by the Respondent and not by Mr. Alfred. The Respondent and Ms. Wilson signed the "Quotation" form as the contract for the project. The Respondent was never licensed to engage in any category of contracting in the State of Florida at any time material to the facts in this case and to the allegations in the Administrative Complaint. On December 11, 2006, the Respondent was paid $7,000.00, by Ms. Wilson's check no. 1022, the day the agreement was entered into. Thereafter he was paid $11,000.00 on December 19, 2006, by check no. 1024 issued by Ms. Wilson. He was paid on December 21, 2006, $1,400.00 by check no. 1025 and another $3,000.00 on December 22, 2006, by Ms. Wilson's check no. 1026. The Respondent also incurred some additional charges on Ms. Wilson's Home Depot and Lowes accounts for certain tools and items which he kept after he left the job. The Respondent maintains that he kept those tools as a remedy for work that he had performed for which Ms. Wilson had not paid him. The work the Respondent contracted to do required a permit. No permit of any kind for the referenced project was ever obtained. The electrical work to be performed by the Respondent included the installing of 10 recessed lights and two outlets. The lights to be installed, some of which were installed by the Respondent, were plug-in lights. The outlets installed by the Respondent involved merely screwing existing wires into the new outlets. They did not involve the addition of any wiring to the project or the home. The dishwasher to be installed by the Respondent did not actually involve plumbing. The plumbing work was already done and was existing at the site. The Respondent merely had to screw the plumbing outlet on the dishwasher to the standing plumbing or pipe. The installation of the flooring and the installation of the wall in the residence accomplished by the Respondent was structural work and constituted contracting. The wall was installed and was attached to the trusses of the structure. The flooring portion of the project involved installation of the hardwood flooring and the pad beneath, the charge for which totaled approximately $15,400.00 itself. The Respondent is a native of Trinidad. While residing in Trinidad he built houses. He therefore is quite experienced in construction. He has a "handyman" license from the City of Sanford. That handyman license prohibits electrical repair or replacement of any type, roof repair, installation of exterior doors and windows, and any work that requires a permit. The Respondent apparently was of the belief that he was authorized to do the type of work at issue, based on the strength of holding handyman license. Additionally, the handyman exemption from licensure which is provided in Section 489.103(9), Florida Statutes, references contracts under $1,000.00 dollars. It also requires, for an exemption, that the work involved not require any permitting. Neither is the case here, the work involved much more than $1,000.00 and did require permitting, at least in part. The Respondent apparently finished most of the job at issue. It is debatable whether he finished the dishwasher installation which merely involved placing it and screwing it into the already existing plumbing outlet. There is apparently a dispute over whether he was to install cabinets. The Respondent maintains that Ms. Wilson was to purchase and have installed the cabinets. It is therefore debatable, and not clear from the evidence of record, whether the Respondent is indeed still owed money by Ms. Wilson, or whether he charged more money for his work during the course of the project than they had agreed to and therefore owes her a refund. In any event, the monetary dispute is not of direct relevance to the question of the violations charged in the Administrative Complaint. The Department adduced testimony of its investigator concerning investigative costs. She thus testified that she had no recollection of how many hours or how much time she had expended in investigating the case culminating in the Administrative Complaint. She testified that she relied on a computer time-tracking program of the Department. But no such record was offered into evidence, nor the custodian of such record to testify. Consequently, the cost figure asserted by the Department as investigative cost for this proceeding of $520.18 has not been proven by persuasive, competent evidence.

Recommendation Having considered the foregoing Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, the evidence of record, the candor and demeanor of the witnesses, and the pleadings and arguments of the parties, it is, therefore, RECOMMENDED that a final order be entered by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation finding that the Respondent violated Sections 489.127(1)(7) and 489.531(1), Florida Statutes, and imposing an administrative penalty in the amount of $2,000.00. DONE AND ENTERED this 29th day of August, 2008, in Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida. S P. MICHAEL RUFF Administrative Law Judge Division of Administrative Hearings The DeSoto Building 1230 Apalachee Parkway Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3060 (850) 488-9675 SUNCOM 278-9675 Fax Filing (850) 921-6847 www.doah.state.fl.us Filed with the Clerk of the Division of Administrative Hearings this 29th day of August, 2008. COPIES FURNISHED: Sorin Ardelean, Esquire Department of Business and Professional Regulation 1940 North Monroe Street Tallahassee, Florida 32399 Ned Luczynski, General Counsel Department of Business and Professional Regulation Northwood Centre 1940 North Monroe Street Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0792 Nancy S. Terrel, Hearing Officer Office of the General Counsel Department of Business and Professional Regulation Northwood Centre 1940 North Monroe Street Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0792 Barry Rigby, Esquire Law Offices of Barry Rigby, P.A. 924 North Magnolia Avenue, Suite 319 Orlando, Florida 32803 G.W. Harrell, Executive Director Construction Industry Licensing Board Department of Business and Professional Regulation 1940 North Monroe Street Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0792

Florida Laws (8) 120.569120.57455.228489.103489.105489.127489.505489.531 Florida Administrative Code (1) 61G4-12.011
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DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION, CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY LICENSING BOARD vs JAMES EDWARD FOSTER, 99-002640 (1999)
Division of Administrative Hearings, Florida Filed:Jacksonville, Florida Jun. 14, 1999 Number: 99-002640 Latest Update: Aug. 10, 2000

The Issue Respondent was charged in a November 19, 1998, Administrative Complaint, filed December 7, 1998, with ten counts of professional violations. The statutory violations alleged are: Count I: Section 489.129(1)(a), Florida Statutes (1995), obtaining a certificate or registration as a Certified Roofing Contractor by fraud or misrepresentation; Count II: Section 489.129(1)(h)2, Florida Statutes (1995), by committing mismanagement or misconduct in the practice of contracting that caused financial harm to a customer; Count III: Section 489.129(1)(k), Florida Statutes (1995), by abandoning a construction project in which the contractor is engaged or under contract as a contractor; Count IV: Section 489.129(1)(m), Florida Statutes (1995), by committing fraud or deceit in the practice of contracting; Count V: Section 489.129(1)(n), Florida Statutes (1995), by committing incompetency or misconduct in the practice of contracting; Count VI: Section 489.129(1)(p), Florida Statutes (1995), by proceeding on a job without obtaining the applicable local building department plumbing permits and inspection; Count VII: Section 489.129(1)(p), Florida Statutes (1995), by proceeding on a job without obtaining the applicable local building department electrical permits and inspection; Count VIII: Section 489.129(1)(p), Florida Statutes (1995), by proceeding on a job without obtaining the applicable local building department framing, insulation, and/or final inspections; Count IX: Section 489.129(1)(o), Florida Statutes (1995), by committing gross negligence, repeated negligence, or negligence resulting in a significant danger to life or property; and Count X: Section 389.129(1)(c), Florida Statutes (1995), by violating any provision of Chapter 455, to wit, Section 455.227(1)(o), practicing beyond the scope permitted by law and performing professional responsibilities the licensee knows, or has reason to know, he is not competent to perform.

Findings Of Fact At all times material to the allegations of the Administrative Complaint, Respondent was a Certified Residential Contractor, having been issued license number CR C057235, by the Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board. At the time of hearing, Respondent's license had been suspended. Since January 27, 1998, Respondent also has been a Certified Roofing Contractor, having been issued license number CC C057649, by the Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board. At no time material was Respondent licensed, registered, or certified to perform electrical work. At no time material was Respondent licensed, registered, or certified to perform plumbing work. On or about February 27, 1997, Respondent entered into a $39,050.40, contract with Reuben M. Adams to restore and repair the Adamses' home at 7037 Mark Street in Jacksonville, Florida, which had been destroyed by fire on February 1, 1997. The work contracted-for included complete restoration of the living room, kitchen, two hallways, two bathrooms, four bedrooms, a laundry room, and a dining room; restoration of heat and air conditioning; and a virtually new roof. Among the electrical and plumbing restoration involved, Respondent specifically agreed to install a ceiling fan and a light kit in the living room; install a sink and faucet for the sink and a ceiling light fixture and vented range hood in the kitchen; install a ceiling light fixture in a hallway; remove floor mounted with tank commode and reinstall a floor mounted with tank commode; replace commode sink, remove and reinstall sink, install new faucet for the sink, install shower head and faucet set for bathtub, install bathroom exhaust fan and light kit for ceiling fan in the bathroom; install ceiling fan and light kit in bedrooms; replace faucet for sink and provide a shower head, faucet set and install a ceiling light fixture in the second bathroom; install a ceiling fan and light kit in the third and fourth bedrooms and dining room and hallway; install 960 square foot electrical and provide temporary utilities for dimensions of 40 feet by 24 feet by eight feet. These types of activities require electrical and plumbing licensure. On or about April 15, 1997, Respondent received and endorsed the first draw check of $22,245.23 from the Adamses. In May 1997, Respondent's site supervisor, Aaron Mitchell, requested that Mr. Adams give him $1500.00, cash to buy materials because Respondent was out of town and Mitchell could not perform the work without the materials. Mr. Adams paid this amount in cash to Mr. Mitchell but was never reimbursed by either Mr. Mitchell or Respondent. In early June 1997, the Adamses became concerned because little work had been completed on the restoration of their home. The house had been cleaned out and gutted and the slab for the room addition had been poured. Mr. Adams contacted Respondent several times about the lack of work being performed on the home. Between mid-June and early July 1997, Respondent completed the framing and installed the roof. On or about July 24, 1997, the Adamses released the second draw of $11,122.62 to Respondent, and Respondent deposited the money into his bank account. In approximately August 1997, Respondent ran electrical wire in the roof, installed electrical outlets in the walls, and completed the electrical work, including installing electrical outlets in the walls. Mr. Adams personally observed Respondent and his workers performing electrical wiring. The electrical work performed by Respondent required licensure as an electrical contractor, that a permit be obtained prior to the electrical work being performed, and that inspections of the electrical work be made before the walls were sealed up over the electrical work. Respondent failed to obtain a permit or to have an electrical inspection performed. Respondent completed the electrical work and covered up the electrical work with the walls without an inspection being performed. Respondent performed plumbing work on the Adamses' home, although he held no plumbing license. Respondent failed to pull a permit for the plumbing work and failed to call for the required inspections. Ultimately, he covered up the plumbing work with the walls without an inspection having been performed. The City of Jacksonville "red-tagged" the home for this reason. The effect of "red-tagging" was to prevent occupancy until compliance with the building code was assured. Such assurance required inspection, which in turn, ultimately required that at least the interior walls be taken down. Respondent also never obtained a framing, insulation or final inspection on the project. In October 1997, the Adamses filed complaints against the Respondent with the State Attorney's Office and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (Case No. 97-18544). On or about October 31, 1997, Respondent signed a Letter of Intent with Mr. and Mrs. Adams agreeing to have their home ready for occupancy no later than December 1, 1997, and promising that Respondent would be responsible for all permits and inspections necessary for the project to be considered complete. At that time, Respondent apologized for all of the delays, the decline in their relationship, and the stress he had caused. Respondent and Mrs. Adams prayed together, and Respondent promised that from that day forward, the Adamses would see progress on their home every day until it was finished. Respondent did not abide by the requirements set forth in the Letter of Intent. Specifically, he never obtained the required permits and inspections. Mr. Adams confronted Respondent about the permits and the inspections, and the Respondent indicated that he had the permits at his office. He assured Mr. Adams that he was taking care of the electrical permit. In December 1997, Respondent requested that Mr. and Mrs. Adams drop their complaint with Petitioner Department of Business and Professional Regulation because he had applied for his roofing license and the complaint was holding up that roofing license being granted. Respondent told the Adamses that if they would drop their complaint, he could obtain his roofing license, which would allow him to generate money to complete their project. Around mid-January 1998, Respondent requested that the Adamses release the final construction draw and drop their complaints with Petitioner and the State Attorney. Respondent stated that if they paid him the final draw of $5,682.55, he would work every day on their project and have it ready for them to move in no later than February 4, 1998. The Adamses paid Respondent the remaining construction draw of $5,682.55, and withdrew their complaint with Petitioner. Respondent accepted the final draw on or about January 27, 1998. Respondent obtained his roofing license after the Adamses withdrew their complaint with Petitioner. After receiving the final construction draw, Respondent did minimal work on the project in January. On or about February 23, 1998, the Adamses reinstated their complaint with Petitioner against Respondent, resulting in the instant case. Respondent has not returned to work on the Adamses' project since March 1998. As of March 1998, Respondent had been paid the full contract price, but the home remained uninhabitable. The workmanship was substandard and the project was less than 100 percent complete. As a result of Respondent's unlicensed electrical and plumbing work on the Adamses' home and his covering-up his work with the walls, the Adamses were unable to obtain an inspection without the walls being taken down. This in turn, required that the walls be rebuilt. In addition to the money paid to Respondent for work improperly done or not done at all, the Adamses had to pay another builder $14,900.00, to remove the walls, re-install the electrical wiring and plumbing which had been completed or partially completed by the Respondent, and complete the renovation. Testimony of Roy Brand, Raymond Smith, and Douglas Arnold supports a finding that Respondent committed repeated negligence and created a dangerous condition when he performed electrical and plumbing work which he was not licensed to do and which he did not have the knowledge to perform. Particularly upon the testimony of Mr. Brand, it is clear that three types of very serious electrical installation errors or omissions had been performed once or more than once by Respondent. At least one of these would have been sufficient, under certain circumstances, to burn down the entire house. By installing electrical universal polyethylene boxes and using them as junction boxes, a purpose for which they were not designed, Respondent created what Mr. Brand described as "short of a 'Molotov Cocktail' that would burn your house down just about as quick." Likewise, one serious error occurred in the type of glue Respondent used on plumbing pipe throughout the home. Mr. Brand gave credible expert evidence that the construction undertaken by Respondent was undertaken for a reasonable amount of $39,050.40, and that a reasonable time to construct the entire contract would have been two and one half to three months after permitting. In addition to the money Mr. and Mrs. Adams paid to Respondent and the substitute contractor, Douglas Arnold, they incurred additional expenses and spent additional time out of their home as a result of Respondent's shoddy workmanship and unlicensed electrical and plumbing work. The Adamses also had to take out a second mortgage of $18,800.00 at 16.3 percent interest for 15 years in order to finance the repairs necessitated by Respondent's substandard and incompetent work, so that they could move back into their home. Mr. and Mrs. Adams and their child had to live somewhere during construction. Their insurance company paid them $750.00, for each of three months. However, they were unable to move back into their home from August 1997 until November 1998, as a direct result of Respondent's incompetence and misconduct.3 During this fifteen-month period, the Adamses paid $300.00 rent per month to Mrs. Adams' mother, plus an additional $100.00 per month for water and utilities, and storage fees of $119.00 per month to a storage facility for keeping their items which had not been destroyed by the fire The Adamses also incurred an additional expense of $1,500.00, for an air conditioning unit which Respondent was to have purchased under their contract with him.

Recommendation Upon the foregoing Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, it is RECOMMENDED that the Construction Industry Licensing Board enter a final order that: Finds Respondent guilty of one violation of each of the following: Sections 489.129(1)(h)(2); (1)(k); (1)(m); (1)(n); (1)(p); (1)(o); and (1)(c), Florida Statutes (1995); Revokes Respondent's General Contractor's and Roofing Contractor's licenses; Imposes a total fine for all violations, in the amount of $30,000.00; and Requires Respondent to pay restitution to Mr. and Mrs. Adams in the amount of $49,835.00. DONE AND ENTERED this 1st day of May, 2000, in Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida. ELLA JANE P. DAVIS Administrative Law Judge Division of Administrative Hearings The DeSoto Building 1230 Apalachee Parkway Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3060 (850) 488-9675 SUNCOM 278-9675 Fax Filing (850) 921-6847 www.doah.state.fl.us Filed with the Clerk of the Division of Administrative Hearings this 1st day of May, 2000.

Florida Laws (8) 120.57455.227489.105489.113489.117489.1195489.129489.505 Florida Administrative Code (4) 61G4 -17.00161G4-12.01861G4-17.00161G4-17.002
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CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY LICENSING BOARD vs. JAMES A. CAMPBELL, 88-001623 (1988)
Division of Administrative Hearings, Florida Number: 88-001623 Latest Update: Jul. 07, 1988

Findings Of Fact In the fall of 1986, the Respondent, James A. Campbell, and his associate, David Ritchie, were operating a construction business known as Town & Country Construction Corp. of Tampa. Campbell was the company's qualifying contractor. At the same time, Campbell and Ritchie were in the process of starting a new company to be known as Bay City Builders, Inc. In the application for state registration of the new business, Campbell also was listed as the qualifying contractor. Campbell and Ritchie had business forms, including contract forms, printed in the name of Bay City Builders, Inc., so as to be ready to do business upon approval of the pending application. On December 5, 1986, an employee of Campbell's company, a Mr. Earl Mills, responded to a telephone inquiry from a Mrs. Josefina Rodriguez, who was interested in having a room added and some other renovations done to her home at 551 South Lois Avenue in Tampa. Mills erroneously committed Bay City Builders to a bid on the job before its application was approved. In addition, the bid was seriously low and committed to completion of the job in just 60 days, an overly optimistic time frame even on a reasonable bid. Rodriguez accepted the bid, and Mills obligated Bay City Builders to a contract with her on December 5, 1986, with an addendum dated December 18, 1986. When Campbell, who was out of town at the time, and particularly Ritchie found out what Mills had done, they fired Mills. But they decided to honor the contract. Work began timely during the last week of December, 1986. At the outset of the work, the plumbing subcontractor discovered seriously deteriorated pipes all the way to the street. It was agreed that the pipes would be excavated and replaced outside the contract, to be paid directly by Rodriguez. This delayed the performance of the contract for a limited period of time. Nonetheless, work progressed in a timely fashion through January, 1987. By January 12, 1987, Rodriguez had paid $7859 of the $12,300 due under the contract. By some point in January, 1987, the foundation footers for the 15' by 24' addition had been dug and put in, the rough plumbing had been done, the concrete slab for the addition had been poured, the concrete block walls had been laid, and the framing for the roof had been built. But then work stopped for several weeks. Mrs. Rodriguez became very concerned for several reasons. First, she was planning a trip to Puerto Rico from June to August, 1987, and, as she had explained to Mills and Ritchie, she wanted the work done before she left. Second, without a roof over the addition, water began to pool in the addition during rains and leak into the main part of the house. Third, she had had difficulty contacting the entity that had taken her money. Mills was gone, and Bay City Builders seemed to her not to exist. Campbell and Ritchie had withdrawn the application to qualify it after the Rodriguez fiasco, and it never did any business before or since. There never was a telephone listing for it. As early as February, 1987, Rodriguez sought help from the Better Business Bureau, which could not even find Bay City Builders, and filed a complaint with the Petitioner, the Department of Professional Regulation, that the contractor had abandoned the job. In mid-February, 1987, a crew returned to the job site and put plywood and tar paper roofing material on the roof. This stopped the water leakage into the main house. But then work came to a virtual standstill. All of the $7859 had been spent, and work had not progressed far enough for the next draw, $2000, under the contract. Ritchie tried to explain the situation to Rodriguez, starting from Mills' unrealistic bid. As it was, Ritchie explained, the work would be done but it was going to be long and slow. Ritchie wound up having to borrow money personally and prevailed upon sympathetic subcontractors to forebear in collecting their due in order for Ritchie to finish the project. Practically no work was done during the rest of February, any of March or the first part of April, 1987. In late April, 1987, without any prompting from the DPR or the Better Business Bureau, Ritchie managed to get workers to the job site to finish the dry wall in the addition, which would trigger the next $2000 draw under the contract, and to shingle the roof of the house (addition and pre-existing roof.) When this work was finished in May, 1987, Ritchie contacted Rodriguez to ask for the $2000 draw. Mrs. Rodriguez asked to be assured that the work would be finished before she left for Puerto Rico in June. Ritchie apologized but said it would be impossible under the circumstances. He asked her to allow the work to continue in her absence. Rodriguez refused and also refused to pay the $2000. She said if Ritchie couldn't finish the work before she went to Puerto Rico, she would get someone else to do it. That was the last Ritchie or Campbell heard about the Rodriguez job until DPR initiated this proceeding. Rodriguez did not contact another builder about finishing the work until the end of October, 1987.

Recommendation Based on the foregoing Findings Of Fact and Conclusions Of Law, it is recommended that the Construction Industry Licensing Board enter a final order dismissing the Administrative Complaint against the Respondent, James A. Campbell. RECOMMENDED this 7th day of July, 1988, in Tallahassee, Florida. J. LAWRENCE JOHNSTON Hearing Officer Division of Administrative Hearings The Oakland Building 2009 Apalachee Parkway Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1550 (904) 488-9675 Filed with the Clerk of the Division of Administrative Hearings this 7th day of July, 1988. COPIES FURNISHED: Belinda H. Miller, Esquire Department of Professional Regulation 130 North Monroe Street Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0750 James A. Campbell 719 South 50th Street Tampa, Florida 33619 Fred Seely Executive Director Construction Industry Licensing Board Post Office Box 2 Jacksonville, Florida 32201 William O'Neil, Esquire General Counsel Department of Professional Regulation 130 North Monroe Street 6 Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0750

Florida Laws (1) 489.129
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