Lee County officials warn of asphalt paving scam

Paving/Driveway Sealing scams are targeting our area, mainly taking advantage of senior citizens.  Beware of unsolicited offers to do paving or driveway sealcoating work.  Never let solicitors inside your home. Calmly but firmly tell the solicitors you are not interested and tell them to leave your property. If they refuse your instructions call the police immediately.  If they are soliciting for paving, they MUST have a permit.

 

Avoid victimization and consider the following suggestions/ tips:

  • Reputable asphalt contractors will rarely, if ever, sell their product door-to-door.
  • These solicitors sometimes give the speech that they have leftover asphalt from another job. Professional asphalt contractors will know, with great accuracy, how much paving material is needed to complete a project. Rarely will they have leftover material.
  • Ask to see proof of the solicitors’ insurance policy and other supporting documents. Rarely do they have worker’s compensation insurance and if one of them is injured at your home, the claim could be made against your homeowner’s insurance.
  • Call the police if they begin “working” without your consent for service.
  • Paving scams target senior citizens, and they usually push individuals to make a quick decision…. please look out for your neighbors/ family members.  It is best to let your neighbors/family members know what is going on so they do not become a victim.
  • Often the trucks they travel in are unmarked or they have an out-of-town address and phone number. A little research will reveal that they have no permanent address, and the phone number is often an answering machine.
  • Most times they will provide an extremely cheap price for the work, however every so often these perpetrators will take advantage and give an extremely expensive price if they feel the individual will pay.

Please be aware that there are similar scams involving offers to perform tree work and chimney work. Usually the scam starts with “We were working down the street and saw that you need to have your tree (or chimney) worked on.”  As always, please contact our Police Desk at 201-664-1140 with any questions or concerns.