Hire at your own risk

Is your contractor qualified to fix your house? In N.J., they don’t have to prove they can hammer a nail.
Homeowners are at the mercy of home improvement contractors who are not required to prove skill, financial stability or have a background check to be qualified to work in New Jersey. (Pixabay.com)
By Karin Price Mueller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Burt Schlosberg is 88, has arthritis and admits he’s not very handy around the house.

“I need an instruction booklet to change a light bulb,” Schlosberg says. “I can use a screwdriver on simple stuff and a hammer, usually not breaking anything, but anything more complex is beyond my limited scope.”

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About the Authors
Karin Price Mueller
Karin Price Mueller is an investigative/enterprise reporter for NJ Advance Media, writing for The Star-Ledger and NJ.com. She writes the Bamboozled consumer affairs column and covers topics that intersect with money, consumer rights and the fiscal responsibility of government agencies

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