Unlicensed contractor nabbed in Napa Sting

Napa Valley Register ^ | Feb 10, 2005 | Marsha Dorgan

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Jeff Miller, right, with the Statewide Investigative Fraud Team, SWIFT, explains to Michael Gomez, that he needs a contractor’s license to do any contracting work over $500. Gomez was arrested, cited for not having the license and released, during a sting operation in Napa, Thursday.

Manuel Gomez looked stunned and confused as two Napa police detectives put him under arrest just as he clenched a contractor job with what he thought was a Napa homeowner.... see article

http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2006/02/10/news/local/iq_3294552.txt

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We have taken this into account regarding the property lien. In fact if he was allowed to continued with maintaining that part of the property, he could after a period of time apply for title to the property and we believe this was his original objective. But in this riparian type of area in our residential country zoning, in order to remove trees off this area legally one has to get a permit from the State Fish and Game Agency. By not doing this he put my Mom in a sort of double jeopardy.

I forgot to mention this guy is in upper level management in a Fortune 500 construction and insurance company and I'm sure he learned many of his skills from that line of work.

I also believe that the county is encouraging the turnover of properties and is aiding this guy in discreet ways. Mom's prop is taxed at Pre Prop13 rates. I also found out from a Supe that they keep a list of properties that they consider underutilized for tax purposes. The purpose is to.....?

I also realize it's socialism, but I think the big boys should have to follow the same rules as us little people.

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This county has so little ability to enforce it's own codes that I believe they are just sitting in their offices using up precious air (and tax dollars). I think I could safely say that if you have the dough to hire a good law firm you can have your way, just by the use of threats.