An 85-year-old Elmont homeowner who lost thousands of dollars due to a faulty roof and gutter repair received a $3,000 check today from Nassau County Executive Thomas S. Gulotta. The payment represents reimbursement from the county's Home Improvement Restitution Fund, which has been established to assist homeowners when they experience problems with licensed contractors in Nassau County.

Katherine Mayforth of Elmont flashed a broad grin as she personally accepted the check at a Mineola press conference, called to remind homeowners about county laws that have been enacted to protect consumers.

"Our Home Improvement Restitution fund has been established to compensate Nassau County homeowners who have obtained a legal judgment or a monetary award in arbitration against a licensed contractor but have been unable to collect the money," Gulotta said. "In this instance, Mayforth followed all the proper procedures. In 1996, she hired Divine Construction of North Bellmore to repair the roof and gutters on her home. At the time, Divine was a licensed contractor in Nassau County. However, the repair job on Mayforth's home was not completed in a satisfactory manner. She sought and won a judgment against the contractor in Small Claims Court. After several unsuccessful attempts by the Sheriff's Office to collect her award, she became eligible to apply for the Restitution Fund reimbursement she is receiving today."

The Restitution Fund, which is administered by the Office of Consumer Affairs, requires every contractor who applies for a license or license renewal to pay a fee of $50. The funds collected from the $50 fees are pooled into a restitution fund and used to compensate homeowners who have exhausted all other legal remedies to collect money owed to them, such as Mayforth. This year, to date, seven Nassau residents have received a total of $15,425 from the restitution fund.

As further protection to homeowners and consumers, any contractor whose action results in payment of claims from the fund has their license suspended until the full amount of the claim is repaid to the county. Divine Construction's license was suspended on Aug. 30, 1996, and they have not sought reinstatement.

"As we embark upon the spring/summer fix-up season, this incident serves as a timely and potent reminder that homeowners have greater protection if they hire a home improvement firm which has been licensed by the Nassau County Department of Consumer Affairs. While most contractors are honest, hard-working law-abiding individuals, the existence of the restitution fund permits the county to financially assist homeowners who are unable to collect legal judgments against licensed contractors. It must be remembered that homeowners who face similar problems with unlicensed contractors cannot receive any money from the restitution fund," Gulotta concluded.

To ascertain if a home improvement contractor is licensed in Nassau County, contact the Office of Consumer Affairs at 571-2600.