Texas Roof repairer Arrested in Florida for Serving to Typhoon Sufferers

After Typhoon Ian pulverized portions of Florida previous this month, roof craftsman Terence Duque sprung into motion.

Duque has run a a success Texas-based business and home roofing industry since 2008. He is were given an A-plus score from the Higher Trade Bureau and has been named a “most popular contractor” by way of nationwide roofing provide corporate Owens Corning. And within the wake of Ian, there is an obtrusive want for roofers and different contractors in Florida, as cleansing up and repairing the typhoon’s injury will take months, if no longer years. Duque concept he may just lend a hand by way of providing his services and products to house owners with broken roofs in Charlotte County, close to the place the brunt of the typhoon hit.

The county’s reaction: “Get him.”

Duque used to be arrested for “undertaking industry in Charlotte County with out a Florida license,” the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Administrative center introduced on Friday. If charged as a prison, that is an offense that might elevate as much as 5 years in jail underneath Florida legislation—even supposing it is conceivable that Duque might be charged with just a misdemeanor offense that carries a trifling 12 months of prison time.

Both means, it is an clearly outrageous reaction.

In step with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Administrative center, Duque were given busted for his just right deed after the Charlotte County Financial Crimes Unit—which is it appears an actual factor—gained a choice from an investigator with the state Division of Trade and Skilled Legislation (DBPR).

When a detective with the sheriff’s administrative center tracked down Duque, the roof craftsman reportedly stated he believed he used to be allowed to paintings in Florida because of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ emergency order that loosened licensing regulations within the aftermath of the typhoon. “The investigator knowledgeable Terence that this used to be no longer the case, and that Terence can be positioned underneath arrest, as he had already executed paintings in violation of the statute,” in line with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Administrative center.

No just right deed is going unpunished, it sort of feels.

“DBPR does no longer seem to understand that it’s the dangerous man right here,” says Justin Pearson, managing legal professional for the Florida administrative center of the Institute for Justice, a libertarian legislation company. “When protected, a success companies come to Florida within the aftermath of a typhoon to offer much-needed help, the very last thing DBPR must need is for the employees to be arrested and charged with a prison. DBPR is punishing other people for doing the suitable factor.”

Pearson notes that 18 states have common licensing reputation regulations—which means {that a} license issued in every other state is accredited as legitimate—however Florida isn’t one among them.

That is handy protectionism for roofers and different contractors in Florida, however it is horrible information for any person who wishes a brand new roof presently.

As FloridaPolitics.com famous, Florida’s contracting licensing necessities are notoriously strict and dear. It takes 4 years to get approved for a number of residential and business development paintings in Florida, in line with information accrued by way of the Institute for Justice.

Defenders of the ones licensing schemes argue they’re intended to give protection to customers from unscrupulous contractors and scammers, however this case illustrates how customers are harm by way of those self same regulations. Permitting approved roofers from different states to paintings in Florida would assist in making post-hurricane maintenance transfer extra briefly, and would give customers extra alternatives (and in all probability decrease costs) even in nonemergency eventualities.

“Those other people had been via sufficient, and I will be able to no longer permit unlicensed contractors to additional victimize them,” Charlotte County Sheriff Invoice Prummell stated in a observation.

Heckuva process, Invoice.