When homeowners hire a contractor to renovate a kitchen, remodel a bathroom, or overhaul a damaged home, they often assume New York’s Home Improvement Consumer Protection statutes will protect them if things go wrong. After all, General Business Law (GBL) §§ 770–773 were written specifically to regulate home improvement contractors, mandate written contracts, and impose penalties for violations. But the truth is far more discouraging. Recent court decisions show that these laws—though…
