Government Sting Results in 11 Arrests

A State and local authorities arrested 11 people Tuesday for working constructions jobs in Camarillo without a license.

Agents from the Contractors State License Board, Ventura County District Attorney, and Ventura County Sheriffs department posed as homeowners soliciting bids for house improvement projects. Anyone who bid more than $500 and did not have a contractors license was arrested.

California law allows people to work construction projects in which the total cost is less than $500. They may also work for the homeowners at any price as long as they are homeowners’ employees and not independent contractors.

“In these difficult economic times, it’s more important than ever for consumers to be careful when hiring someone to work in or around their home,” said licensing board spokesman Steve Sands in a statement. “Many consumers don’t realize that if something goes wrong or mistakes are made, they can be liable for injuries to workers or damage to property.”

A Santa Barbara man was arrested in a similar sting conducted in Ventura in 2008. Howard Cummings fought the charges in court and won, relying on the exception to the licensing law for laborers who work as employees, not as independent contractors.

His lawyer said the jurors felt the government was infringing on their right to hire whomever they chose.

“There’s no indication that they’re targeting people who do shoddy work,” said Cummings’ lawyer, Elliott Tiomkin. “They’re putting this money into these sting operations, which are not based on complaints by aggrieved customers.”