Unlicensed Tucson Man Guilty of Contracting Without a License

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wed., Jan. 27, 2021

CONTACT:
Breanna Bang, Public Information Liaison

Unlicensed Tucson Man Guilty of Contracting Without a License

Phoenix, Ariz., (Jan. 27, 2021) — On Tues., Jan. 26, 2021, Jorge Arvayo-Lerma, 41 of Tucson, was found guilty of Contracting Without a License in the Pima Consolidated Justice Court. 

The charge resulted from a 2019 Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC) investigation that found Arvayo-Lerma was hired by a Tucson homeowner in July 2018 for a remodeling project that included demolition and masonry work to the interior and exterior walls of a main house and guest house. The homeowner filed a complaint with AZ ROC after Arvayo-Lerma failed to complete the job and the homeowner noticed cracks and buckling of the walls Arvayo-Lerma had worked on. 

Arvayo-Lerma has never been a licensed contractor in Arizona and the homeowner admitted during the AZ ROC investigation they knew Arvayo-Lerma was unlicensed but believed he had done good work on previous homes. 

With that, the homeowner knowingly entered into a contract with Arvayo-Lerma for $12,300 and paid Arvayo-Lerma $12,125 for substandard workmanship and incomplete work. The homeowner ended up paying $1,800 to another contractor to have cracks repaired and the job completed. 

A sentencing and restitution hearing is scheduled for February 23, 2021, in the Pima Consolidated Justice Court. 

AZ ROC reminds home and property owners that if the entire cost of the project, including labor and materials is over $1,000, or requires a permit by the local municipality, Arizona law requires the person or business performing the work to be licensed. Home and property owners should always check the license before hiring a contractor at  www.roc.az.gov or by giving the Agency a call at 1-877-692-9762.

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