Bill Text: HI SB601 | 2022 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To Roofing Contractors.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-12-10 - Carried over to 2022 Regular Session. [SB601 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2022-SB601-Amended.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
601 |
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THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
H.D. 1 |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO ROOFING CONTRACTORS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that there are individuals referred to as "storm chasers" in the roofing industry who make unsolicited offers to homeowners to repair their houses or roofs after significant weather events, predicated on the homeowners receiving insurance proceeds for the repairs. Many of these offers promise homeowners new roofs or roof systems at no cost to the homeowner, convincing homeowners to sign binding contracts to replace the entire roof. In cases where there has been substantial damage that would require a new roof, there is not usually a problem with these types of contracts. However, often a subsequent inspection is performed by a qualified insurance adjuster, who may determine that the roof sustained only minimal or no damage and therefore limits the claim to the cost to repair the damage, rather than the cost to replace the entire roof. In these situations, homeowners find themselves responsible for the cost of an entire roof replacement with minimal or no insurance coverage.
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to:
(1) Prohibit roofing contractors from advertising or promising to pay or rebate a property or casualty insurance deductible, or any portion thereof, to induce an insured homeowner to purchase goods or services;
(2) Allow an insured homeowner to rescind a contract with a roofing contractor within an unspecified number of business days of receiving notice from their insurer that all or any part of the claim or contract is not a covered loss under the insured's property or casualty insurance policy;
(3) Require roofing contractors to deliver certain forms to insured homeowners advising them of their legal right to rescind the contract;
(4) Require roofing contractors to return funds to an insured in certain circumstances; and
(5) Prohibit roofing contractors from representing or negotiating, or offering or advertising to represent or negotiate, on behalf of an insured any insurance claim in connection with the repair or replacement of roof systems, or the performance of any other exterior repair, replacement, construction, or reconstruction work.
SECTION 2. Chapter 444, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§444- Roofing
contractors; promises to pay or rebate insurance deductible; inducement of sale
of goods or services; right to rescind. (a) A roofing contractor shall not advertise or promise
to pay or rebate a property or casualty insurance deductible, or any portion thereof,
to induce an insured to purchase goods or services.
(b) An
insured who has entered into a written contract with a roofing contractor to provide
goods and services to be paid from the proceeds of a property or casualty insurance
policy claim may rescind the contract at any time prior to midnight on the
business day after the insured has been notified by the insurer that all or any
part of the claim or contract is not a covered loss under the insured's property
or casualty insurance policy. Rescission
shall be evidenced by the insured providing written notice of rescission and evidence
of any denial or partial denial of the claim by the insurer to the roofing contractor
at the address stated in the contract. Notice
of rescission, if provided by mail, shall be effective upon dispatch when mailed
by registered or certified mail. Notice of
rescission shall not take a particular form and is sufficient so long as it indicates,
by any form of written expression, the intention of the insured not to be bound
by the contract.
(c) Prior
to entering into a contract with an insured for goods and services to be paid from
the proceeds of a property or casualty insurance policy claim, the roofing contractor
shall:
(1) Furnish the insured,
in bold-face type of a minimum size of ten-point font, a statement in substantially
the following form:
"You may rescind this contract
at any time before midnight on the
business day after you have been notified by your insurer that all or any part of
the claim or contract is not a covered loss under your insurance policy. See attached notice of rescission form for an explanation
of this right."; and
(2) Furnish each insured
a fully completed form in duplicate, captioned "NOTICE OF RESCISSION",
which shall be attached to the contract but easily detachable, that shall contain
the following statement in boldface type of a minimum size of ten points:
"NOTICE OF RESCISSION
If you are notified by your insurer
that all or any part of the claim or contract is not a covered loss under your insurance
policy, you may rescind the contract by mailing or delivering a signed and dated
copy of this rescission notice or any other written notice to (name of contractor)
at (address of contractor's place of business) at any time prior to midnight on
the business day after
you received such notice from your insurer. If you rescind, any payments made by you under
the contract, except for certain emergency work already performed by the contractor,
will be returned to you within ten business days following receipt by the contractor
of your rescission notice.
I hereby RESCIND this CONTRACT.
_____________ (date)
_________________________________
(insured's signature)"
(d) No later than ten days after an insured has rescinded
a contract pursuant to this section, the
roofing contractor shall tender to the insured any payments, partial payments, or
deposits made and any note or other evidences of indebtedness; provided that if
the roofing contractor has performed any emergency services, acknowledged by the
insured in writing to be necessary to prevent damage to the residential property,
the roofing contractor shall be entitled to the reasonable value of the emergency
services. Any provision in a contract for
goods and services to be paid from the proceeds of an insurance claim for anything
except emergency services shall not be enforceable against an insured who has rescinded
a contract pursuant to this section.
(e) A roofing
contractor shall not represent or negotiate, or offer or advertise to represent
or negotiate, on behalf of an insured any insurance claim in connection with the
repair or replacement of roof systems, or the performance of any other exterior
repair, replacement, construction, or reconstruction work.
(f) Any
violation of this section by a roofing contractor shall be deemed an unfair method
of competition and an unfair or deceptive act or practice and shall be subject to
the provisions of chapters 480 and 481B, as well as the provisions of this chapter.
(g) For
purposes of this section:
"Insured" means any named insured, any
additional insured, any vendor, any lessor, or any other party identified as an
insured under a property or casualty insurance policy.
"Promise to pay or rebate" means granting
any allowance against the fees to be charged or paying to the insured any form of
compensation, gift, prize, bonus, coupon, credit, referral fee, or other item of
monetary value for any reason, including but not limited to permitting the roofing
contractor to display a sign or any other type of advertisement at the insured's
residential property.
"Roofing contractor" means a person,
including but not limited to a person that is a nonresident roofing contractor,
independent contractor, or subcontractor, whose scope of practice is within the
C-42 specialty contractor classification specified under this chapter, for a fee
or who offers to engage in or solicits roofing-related services, including construction,
installation, renovation, repair, maintenance, alteration, or waterproofing. "Roofing contractor" does not include:
(1) A person engaged in the demolition of a structure or the cleanup of construction waste and debris that contains roofing material;
(2) A person providing roofing services to a residential building for more than four units; or
(3) A person engaged in building a new home or housing development."
SECTION 3. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.
SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2050.
Report Title:
Roofing Contractors; Property or Casualty Insurance; Right to Rescind; Unfair Methods of Competition; Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices
Description:
Prohibits roofing contractors from offering to pay, in any monetary form, an insured's property or casualty insurance deductible as an incentive to induce the insured to hire the contractor. Allows an insured to rescind a contract with the roofing contractor if an insurer notifies the insured that all or any part of a claim or contract is not a covered loss under the insured's insurance policy and requires the roofing contractor to return funds after the rescission, in certain circumstances. Requires roofing contractors to provide certain forms to an insured, prior to entering into a contract. Prohibits roofing contractors from representing or negotiating, or offering or advertising to do so, on behalf of an insured in an insurance claim. Specifies violations are unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices. Effective 1/1/2050. (HD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
