Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/203490
Sarasota News Leader November 1, 2013 Page 77 VENICE CONTRACTOR CHARGED WITH GRAND THEFT The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has filed additional charges against a Venice contractor who took payment from a customer but did not perform the work, the office has announced. Steven Baker, 57, owns Advanced Window Concepts, located at 795 Commerce Drive, No. 2, in Venice, a news release says. "Detectives learned he cashed a $1,350 check from an Englewood woman in August but did not pull permits and did not start the job." The Sheriff's Office report for the August case points out that Florida State Statute 489.126 "states that a contractor who receives more than 10 percent of the contract price must apply for permits within 30 days after a payment is received, must start the work within 90 days after the date all necessary permits are issued, and shall not fail or refuse to perform any work for any 90 day period." Baker has been in the Sarasota County Jail since September, when the Venice Police Department charged him with a similar crime as the one in August, the news release adds. The Sheriff's Office also filed charges against him earlier this month for taking a $3,500 down payment from a Venice woman in May without pulling permits or installing new windows, it notes. Two Sarasota County Sheriff's Office detectives investigate claims against people who engage in contracting work without proper licenses, permits or certification, it points out. "This partnership with Sarasota County Code Enforcement and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) protects consumers financially, shields Steven Baker/Contributed photo them from potential litigation and ensures their safety, since shoddy work can only be detected during the inspection process," the release explains. A first offense usually results in a civil citation by Code Enforcement, but subsequent violations lead to misdemeanor or felony criminal charges, the release notes. To check a Sarasota County license, call Code Enforcement at 861-6126, and to report someone you suspect is acting as an unlicensed contractor or performing work without a permit call Sarasota County at 861-5000. For more information visit: https:// www.scgov.net/DevelopmentServices/Pages/ ContractorLicensing.aspx