Two Jacksonville-area home-repair contractors facing hundreds of consumer complaints and a state attorney general lawsuit still hold active Florida licenses, according to a Florida Tribune investigation published Tuesday, Aug. 25. Mandarin is among the areas where the companies operate.

The investigation names Lickety Split and Florida Roof Specialists, both accused of using door-to-door sales tactics and high-pressure signing sessions on tablets to trap elderly homeowners into large loans and liens they did not understand.

Mary Bennett-Harvey, 76, a Jacksonville resident, told the Florida Tribune she made an appointment with Lickety Split in May 2025 to inspect the A/C systems at her Arlington home. She said inspectors told her both systems needed entirely new ductwork at a cost of $20,000, even though she had never noticed a problem. Bennett-Harvey said she believed she was signing a personal loan on a tablet, but the company locked her into a home equity loan on her house.

"They had me sign the loan papers on the iPad. I never saw it. I never got a copy of it," Bennett-Harvey told the Tribune. "There was nothing said about 'Read this here. Now read that carefully. Did you understand it?' There was none of that."

She sold the home in October 2025 and did not discover the lien until June 2026.

The Florida Attorney General's office told the Tribune it is investigating 92 complaints against Lickety Split. The AG's office has also sued Florida Roof Specialists after receiving 209 complaints and filed an injunction on July 24 asking a judge to force the company to stop operating. The injunction cited "a growing and disturbing trend" in liens and foreclosure actions against consumers over the past 20 months.

Despite those investigations, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation has not suspended either company's license. DBPR's licensing process checks testing requirements and financial health but does not screen for consumer complaints or active litigation, according to the investigation.

In 2025, DBPR investigated over 4,800 complaints of unlicensed activity and completed around 2,000 enforcement actions but revoked just one company's license for deceptive practices.

Annie Rodriguez, an attorney with Jacksonville Area Legal Aid's Consumer and Advocacy Litigation Unit, told the Tribune that a state license offers limited protection. Rodriguez said homeowners expect a certain level of expertise from a licensed contractor, but "sometimes people's money is still gone in the wind, even if they use a licensed contractor."

A class action complaint filed July 16 accused Lickety Split of failing to complete work paid for in full. The lead plaintiff alleged they paid $28,676 for a duct replacement project, but the company used lower-quality materials and did not finish other contracted work. The lawsuit also alleged Lickety Split had customers sign waivers preventing them from disputing credit card charges, a practice attorneys say violates the federal Truth in Lending Act.

What Mandarin residents can do

A new Florida law took effect July 1, making it illegal for door-to-door salespeople to solicit at homes displaying a compliant "No Commercial Solicitation" sign. A first violation carries a $500 fine; a second or subsequent violation is a second-degree misdemeanor. The sign must be at least 8.5 by 11 inches, clearly visible and cite Section 501.062 of Florida Statutes.

Residents who believe they have been scammed by a contractor can file a complaint with the Florida Attorney General's office or contact Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. The AG's investigations into both companies remain open, with no ruling dates announced.