After suffering a fire, an auto repair shop in Tennessee was recently scammed by an unlicensed contractor while trying to rebuild, reports NewsChannel5 Nashville.
Since a space heater sparked a fire at King Sport Cars and Auto Repair in Madison, Tennessee, this past January, owner Jemel Merani has been working out of a makeshift office in one of his garages. He hired a contractor to construct a new office space, which he’s invested over $50,000 in.
However, the person Merani hired had been working without a license, and disappeared in July. It’s left Merani having to pay twice for some of the work while still operating his business, with customers having to wait in a garage area.
“You don't want to be sitting in a garage,” Merani said. “I have AC over there, but it's still a garage.”
Merani has filed criminal charges with the police, but shops in similar positions are encouraged to visit state verification websites like Verify.TN.gov to check a contractor’s license and disciplinary status.
