Category: Consumer protection

The fight over HB 1467—the bill that will make it more difficult for consumers to use the courts to get compensation for shoddy work by contractors—is heating up. Today the Inquirer reports that the Attorney General Tom Corbett, a Republican no less, has advised Governor Rendell that the bill is unconstitutional. Yesterday Jeff Gelles wrote another powerfu column and blog entry about it. The Inquirer also reports that the City’s Director of Consumer Affairs, Lance Hvaer, and Councilman Jim Kenney, wrote a joint letter asking the Governor to veto the bill. You can join them. Contact Governor Rendell by email at governor@state.pa.us by fax with the Hallwatch Faxbank Service , call him at 717-787-2500 or write to him at Governor Edward G. Rendell, 225 Main Capitol Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120. Over the last few years we have seen one bad bill after another sneak through the legislature when no one… Continue reading

Good editorial today in the Inquirer urging Governor Rendell to veto a HB 1467, a bill that would put homeowners fighting contractors who have done shoddy work at an even greater disadvantage than they are today. The justification for the bill is that it would avoid litigation by giving contractors 2 ½ months repair bad work. But the bill creates procedural barriers that will make it more difficult for homeowners to sue contractors who fail to make the repairs. The editorial follows on an excellent column Jeff Gelles wrote about the bill a few days ago. By the way, if you don’t read Jeff Gelles regularly you should. Not only does he have good personal advice, he regularly takes on political issues from a consumer perspective. He is one of the few reporters willing to take on Comcast, for example, criticizing them for their anti-competitive refusal to allow Direct TV… Continue reading