1.    Any person may file a duly verified complaint with the registrar charging that the licensee is guilty of any of the following acts or omissions:

Terms Used In North Dakota Code 43-07-14

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute means the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Individual: means a human being. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Person: means an individual, organization, government, political subdivision, or government agency or instrumentality. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Property: includes property, real and personal. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Verified: means sworn to before an officer authorized to administer oaths. See North Dakota Code 1-01-42

a.    Abandonment of any contract without legal excuse after a deposit of money or other consideration has been provided to the licensee. A rebuttable presumption of abandonment arises if:

(1) A contractor fails substantially to commence any work agreed upon, unless the failure is due to circumstances beyond the control of the contractor:

(a)    Within sixty days of a starting date agreed upon in writing; or

(b)    Within ninety days of the contract date if no starting date is agreed upon in writing; or

(2) A contractor fails to complete any work agreed upon in writing within ninety days of a completion date agreed upon in writing, or within one hundred eighty days of the contract date if no completion date is agreed upon in writing, unless the failure is due to circumstances beyond the control of the contractor.

b. Diversion of funds or property received under express agreement for the prosecution or completion of a specific contract under this chapter, or for a specified purpose in the prosecution or completion of any contract, and their application or use for any other contract obligation or purpose to defraud or deceive creditors or the owner.

     c.    Engaging in any fraudulent or deceptive acts or practices or misrepresentation as a contractor in consequence of which one or more persons is injured in a total amount exceeding three thousand dollars.

d.    The making of any false or misleading statement in any application for a license or renewal or by violating this chapter or being convicted of an offense the registrar determines has a direct bearing on the applicant’s or licensee’s ability to serve the public as a contractor as set out in section 12.1-33-02.1.

e.    Engaging in work without any trade or professional license as required for the work pursuant to local, state, or federal law.

f.    Failure to refund fully the contracting party’s advance payment if a rebuttable presumption of abandonment has arisen and the contracting party has made a request to the licensee for a refund.

2.    The complaint must be on a form approved by the registrar and must set forth sufficient facts upon which a reasonable individual could conclude that any of the acts or omissions in subsection 1 has been committed.

3.    Any act or omission under this section may also constitute grounds for the attorney general to bring an action under chapter 51-15 against the licensee or any unlicensed person engaging in the business or acting in the capacity of a contractor in violation of section 43-07-02 and subjects the licensee or any such unlicensed person to all provisions, procedures, remedies, and penalties provided for in chapter 51-15.

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