Prompted by sky-high prices for snow removal on roofs this year, the state Senate debated Thursday to outlaw price gouging due to severe weather events.
Some homeowners were panicking during the winter as water came into their houses, and they paid high prices to immediately get the snow off the roof. With heavy ice on roofs, many contractors said they had to pay the workers high wages in order to get them to climb on the slippery roofs.
"A few were quoted prices for small roofs at $5,000,'' said Sen. Paul Doyle, a Wethersfield Democrat. "It protects our consumers from price gouging. ... The governor would issue a declaration of a severe weather event. They cannot charge our consumers unconscionably excessive prices.''
"A few unscrupulous businessmen did charge unconscionably high prices,'' Doyle said. "The ultimate fine is a potential $5,000.''
Sen. Rob Kane opposed the bill, saying it would be highly difficult for the state to police the problem on a statewide basis.
"My wife went out and bought one of those roof rakes,'' Kane said. "The 60 bucks is well worth it, rather than have my roof collapse.''
"We have an economic situation,'' he said. "I don't think we'll have the ability to police it. We're adding to the cost of government to investigate these situations. ... I don't think we're going to solve the problem.''