NEWARK, N.J. (Legal Newsline) — New Jersey Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino announced Dec. 16 that the state’s Division of Consumer Affairs cited 21 unlicensed moving companies and fined them each $2,500. This comes after a covert operation called “Operation Mother’s Attic” in which division officials posed as consumers to catch companies suspected of operating without a license.
“Public movers are often granted unfettered access to consumers’ homes, and entrusted with their most valuable possessions,” Porrino said. “To protect consumers from fraud and other risks, we must make sure these individuals are properly vetted and regulated through our licensing system. “Operation Mother’s Attic is a proactive approach to weeding out and penalizing unlicensed movers who are operating outside the division’s oversight.”
New Jersey law mandates that all intrastate movers must be licensed by the Division of Consumer Affairs. The $2,500 penalty will be reduced to $1,250 for any mover that applies for a state license within 30 days of receiving the citation.
“Unscrupulous moving companies can be a nightmare for consumers,” said Steve Lee, director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “From negligently destroying valuable property to holding possessions hostage in exchange for exorbitant price increases, these bad actors can wreak havoc on people’s lives. The best way to avoid predatory movers is to make sure the companies you hire are licensed and in compliance with our consumer protection laws.”