Some homeowners are rolling out the red carpet and letting criminals in their front door

In November, 2014 the New Jersey State Police teamed up with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to perform a sting operation against unlicensed moving companies.

We have all heard the horror stories and there is a certain element of society that is best kept at a distance but some unsuspecting homeowners are welcoming them into their home.  This sting operation, as well as ones conducted in the past has uncovered some very unsettling facts. In this sting operation alone they caught 19 unlicensed moving companies in violation of state law. This led to 10 arrests, seven were arrested for being in the U.S. illegally and the other three were arrested for previous charges such as possession of a loaded firearm, theft, disorderly conduct, and sexual abuse against a minor.

Both NJ.com and NJConsumerAffairs.gov have written about this latest sting operation and these links provide more details of the outcome of their efforts.  Moving is the type of service that is easy to offer so it becomes an option for people looking to make a quick buck. Unfortunately it becomes a nightmare for many consumers who find themselves either in a lawsuit if someone gets hurt in their home, discovers family treasures that have gone missing or broken, or find themselves in front of a very intimidating person that is demanding more money before they unload your items.

Protect yourself and do your research. Before hiring a mover, you can check if they are licensed here https://newjersey.mylicense.com/verification/Search.aspx?facility=Y. Once you’ve hired a licensed moving company such as All Jersey Moving & Storage and you can have the peace of mind knowing that this will not happen to you.  

Here are some things to look for when searching for a reputable licensed moving company:

·         Anyone offering moving services within NJ must be licensed from the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs

·         Each vehicle used by the company must be

o   Registered

o   Properly marked with a large sticker on the driver’s side door which are provided annually by the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs.

o   Insured and in compliance with state regulations

·         They must maintain insurance policies for

o   Cargo liability

o   Workers' compensation

o   Bodily injury and property damage

Consider All Jersey Moving & Storage for your next move. We are a top-rated NJ mover located in Piscataway, NJ.  We are residential movers, commercial movers, office movers, piano movers, as well as agents for National Van Lines. We offer both local and long distance moving services.  Contact us today for your free moving quote.