HOME AT THE TIME GOT THE ALERT FROM HER RING CAMERA DEPUTIES HAD ATTEMPTED TO DRILL A HOLE
IN HER LOCK WHEN SHE STOPPED
THEM.
THAT’S WHEN THEY REALIZED THEY
WANTED THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR.
>> WE GET EMAILS, WE GET PHONE
CALLS NOT TO MENTION THE DM ON
FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND
INSTAGRAM.
MANY OF THE PEOPLE IN MY HIGHER
AS A CONTRACTOR AT THE WORK
ACTUALLY NEVER GETS DONE.
>> THE QUESTION IS WHY I WAS
BEING DONE TO PUT A STOP TO IT.
LAYRON LIVINGSTON FOUND THAT
THE ANSWER IS IT IS
COMPLICATED.
>> HONESTLY I WOULDN’T WISH
THIS ON MY WORST ENEMY.
IT’S BEEN BAD BUT.
>> TO FILE OR REFRAIN.
ONCE WE WARNED HER THAT’S ALL I
HAVE FOR $20,000.
90,875.
>> TO BE EXACT THAT’S HOW MUCH
SORAYA HERNANDEZ SAID SHE PAID
JOSEPH VALDES AT SUNSHINE POOLS
AND CONTRACTING GROUP
INCORPORATED.
>> FOR A WHOLE BUT THERE WAS
NOTHING ELSE DONE.
>> THE WORK WAS UNDERWAY WAS
ALL DONE BY A DIFFERENT
CONTRACTOR HIRED MORE THAN A
YEAR AFTER HER ORIGINAL
LICENSED POOL GUY TOOK HER
MONEY AND GHOSTED.
NOT JUST HER.
THERE’S A FACEBOOK GROUP NOW
WITH MORE THAN 200 MEMBERS.
FOLKS WHO CLAIM THEY DOVE IN
HEADFIRST ONLY TO COME UP EMPTY
POOLS.
>> EVEN AFTER HE FILED FOR
BANKRUPTCY HE WAS TAKING MONEY
FROM FAMILIES.
>> YOU HEARD HER AND MARCH
SUNSHINE POOLS FILED FOR
BANKRUPTCY.
WE STOP BY THEIR SOUTHWEST
MIAMI-DADE HEADQUARTERS AND
EVERYTHING WAS LOCKED UP TIGHT
AND NO ONE ANSWERED THE DOOR
TO HEAR BACK FROM THE COMPANY’S
LAWYER.
>> THE BIGGEST FRUSTRATION IS
WE HAVE NOWHERE TO TURN.
WE TRIED TO GO TO THE CITY.
WE WOULD GET SENT TO THE STATE
AND GO TO THE POLICE AND THEY
SAY IT’S A SIMPLE MATTER THAT
THEY CAN’T HANDLE.
THE ONLY COMMON ANSWER I GUESS
YOU CAN SAY WE’VE GOTTEN WAS GO
TO AN ATTORNEY.
>> WE ARE DOING OUR PART IN
PROVIDING THE BEST SERVICE WE
CAN.
>> IF THEY CAN GEORGE PEC
SUPERVISOR ONLY DATES CONTRACTING LICENSING SECTION INCLUDING SIX INVESTIGATORS WHO
HANDLE CONTRACTOR COMPLAINTS.
>> IS THAT ENOUGH?
>> YES WE ARE BUSY WE ARE BUSY.
WE ARE HANDLING IT.
SAYS HIS DEPARTMENT >> YES WE ARE BUSY WE ARE BUSY. WE ARE HANDLING IT. >> PEC
SAYS HIS DEPARTMENT
NEGOTIATED MORE THAN $161,000 IN RESTITUTION IN 2021. AND MORE THAN 156,000 SO FAR
THIS YEAR.
>> ONCE WE SEE THERE IS CAUSE
TO BRING CRIMINAL CHARGES
AGAINST THE INDIVIDUAL WE STOP
THAT CASE.
SAYS THE COUNTY LOCK AGAINST THE INDIVIDUAL WE STOP THAT CASE. >> PEC
SAYS THE COUNTY LOCK
PRINTER 40 COMPLAINTS LAST YEAR THAT ONLY 59 OF THEM BECAME CRIMINAL CASES.
BOOKS THE OFFICE HAS TOLD US IF
WE HAVE EVIDENCE THE WORK WAS
CONDUCTED.
WE HAVE A CRIME.
IT’S A SIMPLE MATTER.
ADMITS HIS WE HAVE A CRIME. IT’S A SIMPLE MATTER. >> PEC
ADMITS HIS
INVESTIGATORS HAND CAN BE TIED FOR LICENSES NOT ISSUED BY THE COUNTY BUT RATHER THE STATE
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND
PROFESSIONAL REGULATION.
BUT HE SAYS THERE ARE
WORKAROUNDS.
SUNSHINE POOLS HAD NEARLY 2
DOZEN EXPIRED PERMITS ON RECORD
WITH THE COUNTY AND ALL OF THEM
FOR DIFFERENT JOBS DATING BACK
TO LAST YEAR.
>> THEY DID NOT CORRECT
DEPARTMENT SO WE SUSPENDED
THEIR LICENSE.
>> MEETING SUNSHINE CAN’T PULL
ANY PERMITS IN MIAMI-DADE
POTENTIALLY FOR THE NEXT
DECADE.
SAYS SOME CONTRACTORS GET POTENTIALLY FOR THE NEXT DECADE. PEC
SAYS SOME CONTRACTORS GET
IN OVER THEIR HEADS AND TAKE ON TOO MANY JOBS AND MISMANAGED MONEY AND STOP WORKING.
OTHERS.
>> THEY ARE JUST THIEVES AND I
HATE SAYING THAT.
>> ALWAYS HAVE A SIGNED
CONTRACT WITH PAYMENT TERMS
SPELLED OUT HANDWRITTEN
CONTRACTS, CONTRACTS SAID TO
INCLUDE LICENSE NUMBERS BEING
TOLD THE JOB CAN BE DONE
WITHOUT PERMITS AND ASKING FOR
SUBSTANTIAL PAYMENTS UPFRONT
ALL RED FLAGS.
NEVER PAY IN CASH.
>> CONVERSELY WHAT HAPPENS IS
THEY ARE VICTIMS OF THE
SITUATION BECAUSE THEY HAVE
WORK ON THEIR PROPERTY THAT WAS
ABANDONED AND THEY ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR CORRECTING
THOSE TYPES OF CODE VIOLATIONS.
>> CHEVROLET SAYS THAT’S WHERE
SHE AND MIAMI-DADE ENFORCEMENT
SUPPORT AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
STAFF COME IN IDEALLY BEFORE
THE WORK EVEN STARTS.
>> WE CAN TYPE IF THEY HAVE
OPEN PERMITS ANY COMPLAINTS
AGAINST THEM WITH THE CURRENT
STATUS OF LICENSE OR INSURANCE.
WE WANT TO BE THE FIRST STEP TO
GET THEM TO THE PROCESS
CORRECTLY.
>> TO AVOID LEARNING THE HARD
WAY.
>> WHY DO THIS TO FAMILIES?
NO NEED FOR IT.
>> LAYRON LIVINGSTON LOCAL 10
NEWS.
>> Anchor: DO YOUR HOMEWORK
STARTING JULY 2020 THROUGH A
STATE LAW GOES INTO EFFECT THAT
ONLY THE STATE WILL BE IN
CHARGE OF ISSUING AND RENEWING
CERTAIN CONTRACTS OR LICENSES
MEANING LOCAL LICENSING
DEPARTMENTS WILL NO LONGER BE
ABLE TO LICENSE CERTAIN
SPECIALTY TRADES.
THE LIST IS ON OUR WEBSITE
LOCAL10.com IN THE MEANTIME
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE
TELLING US DB PR HAS INDICATED
TO THEM DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING