The following article from Rockledge Police Department Neighborhood Watch may be of interest to residents wanting to determine if a solicitor or contractor has followed the proper procedure to canvass the Three Meadows subdivision.  ** See also: Rockledge Solicitor Peddler Canvasser Reference **

(Some guidelines to consider.)

As of late, I have received a number of inquiries from residents pertaining to contractors, solicitors, peddlers, canvassers and those promoting their religious belief. The information involved to respond to each of the five categories can be a little lengthy, but well worth my time to send out and possibly worth your time to review. The weather is about to get better and there will be more strangers walking our streets going door to door, promoting their business.

The attached file was sent out in March 2011. It covers most of what you need to know about permits for solicitor, peddlers, canvassers and those promoting their religious belief. Please remember, the Rockledge Police Department does a criminal history check on all applicants and has stringent requirements for endorsements.

The new category of interest by residents is the contractor, such as those hired to do landscaping, lawn care, fertilizing and tree trimming, taking the opportunity to promote their business by going door to door while in the area. Contractors are not addressed on the attached, but they are discussed below.

Note: The two city of Rockledge departments that will respond to enforce city codes / ordinances are listed below; their response pending the circumstances and time of the call (working hours / after hours):

– 690-3984: Code Enforcement, Building Department

– 690-3988: Rockledge Police Department (for non-emergency)

Here are some guidelines:

– A contractor working within a community, whether they are working for an HOA Board on common grounds or a resident on private property, does not need the permit discussed on the the attached unless they are going to solicit, peddle or canvass.

– If a contractor is walking the streets with a list of clients that are currently using their service in that community and approaches residents that are not on their listing, they need a permit. However, if a contractor is approached by a resident and invited onto their property, the contractor does not need a permit. .

– If an individual is going door to door hanging advertisements on doors or throwing sample packets on driveways, they need to have a permit to solicit, peddle or canvass. If you discover such an advertisement on your property and it has the contact information on it, get it to Rockledge Code Enforcement Office. They will check to see if the individual has a permit, contacting the company / individual as appropriate. Keep in mind, while the discarding of advertisement material may have already occurred in your community, your actions may prevent other communities from the inconvenience. If you have a NO TRESPASSING sign posted on your property and the individual has ignored it when making their delivery to your door, ensure you include that information when contacting the authorities.

– On a side note, if you have a contractor doing landscaping, such as mowing your lawn or trimming your trees, they must remove the yard waste. Contractors are prohibited from leaving the yard waste for the city to pick-up. So, if someone drives up in a sedan with a ladder tied to the roof and gives you a great deal on trimming your trees, your first question should be, how will the yard waste be removed by the contractor. It could be a show stopper, but it is the requirement and a licensed lawn care services knows this, some elect not to oblige.

– Landscape entrepreneurs are plentiful and those that are not licensed or insured are a risk – how lucky do you feel? It is highly recommended that you ask any contractor you are considering for hire for their license and proof of insurance. To verify a contractor’s license you can contact the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation at 866-532-1440 or www.MyFloridaLicense.com .

The big take away is:

– If someone comes to your door to talk about their service, they need a Rockledge city permit (attached), even if they just finished a contracted job next store. A Brevard County permit does not work in Rockledge.

– If someone comes to your door, permit or not, and you have signage posted for no soliciting, they are being rude by bothering you; but, if you have no trespassing signage posted and they have come to your door, then you have a more serous issue. Contact either the Rockledge Police Department or code enforcement immediately and provide what info you have – allow the authorities to investigate.

– It is never advisable to confront a stranger at your door (or in the street) other than to say, you are trespassing, leave my property (if that is the case). Let the authorities do their job by investigating, And, it is never a good idea to allow someone at your front door to think that no one is home as they might be a sixth category of individual that goes door to door, the criminal element – and that is a whole different topic.

I hope this helps those that have asked or who were wondering. Please remember, some of the best scams have been played out by individuals who state that they can provide a service for a low price, while they are not licensed or insured to do so. And then there are those that will say that they were referred to you by a friend. The best referral is when an individual tells a friend about a contractor and then provides the friend the contractor’s contact information; not when a stranger shows up at your door and says they were referred to you by a friend or neighbor.

PLEASE BE VIGILANT, BE INVOLVED AND BE SAFE.

Network Administrator