2276                               County Local Laws

Sec. 79A-4. Application; fee; qualifications.

The director shall maintain a register for the board of all applicants
for licenses and all licensees, in such form as the board shall require.

Any person desiring to be licensed as a building contractor in Mont-
gomery County shall make and file with the director a written application
on a form approved by the board. Each application shall be accompanied
by the sum of fifteen dollars as application fee. The applicant shall furnish
information as to his character references and financial responsibility, and
his experience and/or training and education, or the experience and/or
training and education of his associates, construction superintendent, or
other principal employee or employees, in the building trade, as the board
shall require. Before the issuance of a license the director shall ascertain
from reliable sources the applicant's record of compliance with the laws of
the State of Maryland and Montgomery County. The board may request
further information from the director or other sources, make independent
investigations, and conduct examination of the applicant, at its discretion.
On the basis of the foregoing, it shall be the board's duty, within thirty
days after submission of an application for a license unless the time is
extended for good cause, to certify to the director whether the applicant
and his organization are qualified to comply with the building code and
laws of the County; and State, to perform fully his building contracts, and
should be licensed, and to notify the applicant. In no case shall denial of
certification be unreasonable and a denial shall be in writing stating the
reason, and shall be personally served or mailed by certified mail to the
address on the application. Any denial may be appealed to the county
board of appeals by filing notice of appeal with the clerk of the appeals
board not later than ten days after such notice is personally served or
mailed.

Sec. 79A-5. Issuance; bond required; fee.

The director shall issue a license to applicants qualified to be licensed
upon payment of a license fee of fifteen dollars and delivery to the County
of a cash bond or a corporate bond executed by a surety company qualified
to transact business in the State in the amount of two thousand dollars.
The cash or corporate bond shall run to the County and shall be condi-
tioned that the licensee shall perform all work done by him in the County
in accordance with the building code and laws of the County and State.
The County, or any person damaged by failure of the licensee to comply
with such code and laws, may proceed against such bond in any court of
competent jurisdiction.

This bonding provision may be satisfied if the applicant has obtained
a bond in at least the amount of two thousand dollars in connection with
an organized program approved by the board, which program provides
procedures for the processing and resolution of complaints against such
building contractor and thus affords substantially the same bonding pro-
tection to the public as the bond required by this chapter.

The director shall immediately revoke the license upon failure of any
licensee to maintain said bond.

Sec. 79A-6. Term of licenses; renewals.

Licenses issued under this chapter shall be valid for one year from the
date of issuance and may be renewed upon application to the director.
Applicants for renewal shall pay to the County at the time of filing such
application the fee of fifteen dollars.