A Quincy man faces an unregistered contractor charge after he reportedly bilked a Kent homeowner out of $850.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
King County prosecutors charged Raymond Ersie Jensen, 37, with one count of unregistered contracting, according to the state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Jensen, doing business as Complete Construction Inc., signed a contract to replace a roof on a Kent home for $2,700 in May. He cashed an $850 check intended for roofing materials, but never bought them and never showed up for work, according to charging documents. The homeowner contacted Kent Police. A L&I investigation resulted in the charge.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
L&I records dating to 1980 show Jensen has never been registered under his name as a contractor. L&I has cited Jensen four times \u2014 twice in 2008 and twice in 2013 \u2014 for unregistered contractor violations.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Unregistered contracting is a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
L&I reminds consumers to never pay large deposits, don’t pay in full until the job is done, and always make sure that construction contractors are registered in Washington.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
State law requires construction contractors to register with L&I. To register, contractors must have liability insurance, a business license and a bond to allow for some financial recourse if the project goes awry.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n