Miami Homes Vulnerable to Dirty Dealings After Katrina

Miami homes were some of the hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina, and while locals are trying to slowly recover from the storm´s damage, they have to be aware of another threat.

Nearly 9,000 complaints were filed with Florida Attorney General Charlie Christ after last year’s four hurricanes. Gas stations, hotels, tree removers and other businesses throughout the state were price gauging and contractors were walking off with down payments and leaving residents homes in even worse shape.

In order to protect Miami residents from losing their savings and Miami homes from sustaining further damage, Attorney General Crist warns homeowners “to be wary of workers who charge too much or too little” to repair Miami homes. Some businesses could be illegally inflating prices,” while others may set low prices just to lure customers and then disappear with their large down payment.

Investigator Michael Corzo says that although residents may be overwhelmed by the cost of repairs to their Miami homes, they should not always hire the contractor offering the cheapest price. “A licensed, reputable contractor has added costs in his estimates, such as workers’ compensation insurance.”