In hindsight, Horn wishes he’d made the test a higher priority. In the meantime, he’s had to find other work to pay the bills. “Once the department has given you a citation and can prove that you’re out of compliance, they have the legal right to audit all your records, and cite you retroactively for every past instance of unlicensed work,” said Bob Iovanelli, president of Blue Horizon Pools in Plano, Texas.Īside from small cleaning jobs, Horn’s service route is out of business until he passes the test. Unfortunately, that may be only the beginning. He could receive a written warning, or face a fine as high as $5,000. Now he’s been caught operating without the updated license and awaits a verdict from TDLR’s legal department. Though Horn had pre-registered and passed the background check for the exam, he had yet to complete it. Local industry groups have been working to spread the word about the test, but sources say the vast majority of Texas pool professionals still haven’t taken it. Since March, TDLR has required that every pool technician performing electrical work obtain an updated Texas Residential Appliance Installer license, which entails passing an exam based on the 2008 National Electrical Code handbook. However, the problem has nothing to do with warranties. Once on TDLR’s radar, Horn became entangled in a situation that leaves his business essentially benched.
Before long, the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration got involved. The homeowner complained to the Better Business Bureau and the state’s real estate commission. Then, as so often happens, the pool technician ended up being blamed. His efforts to diffuse the situation didn’t help. Horn found himself caught in the middle of an argument between the warranty company, which insisted he collect a fee, and the customer, who refused to pay. Apparently, there had been a miscommunication with the homeowner about the nature of the work. The company said the repair wasn’t covered. “It all started when I called the warranty company to get the work order approved,” said the Mabank, Texas-based independent pool service contractor. When Jason Horn showed up for an ordinary service call, he never expected it would get him in trouble with the state - and potentially put him out of business.
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