What must a door-to-door home improvement contract include?

Work it through

You're the contractor. Pick what you'd do, then see how each choice plays out.

Brenda Hayes

Your salesperson who goes door-to-door generating leads

Listen

1. AStop everything. The contract is invalid — door-to-door sales require a 3-business-day cancellation notice. Call Mrs. Torres, provide the notice, and give her the full cancellation window
   Correct

   Under the Maryland Door-to-Door Sales Act and COMAR regulations, any home improvement contract resulting from a door-to-door solicitation MUST include a notice of the consumer's right to cancel within 3 business days. Failure to include this notice means the consumer can cancel at ANY time. You also need to train Brenda on these requirements immediately.

2. BThe contract is signed — what's done is done. Start scheduling the work
   Wrong

   This is a serious violation of the Door-to-Door Sales Act. An elderly widow signed a $15,000 contract at her door without being informed of her right to cancel. This is exactly the kind of complaint that triggers MHIC investigation and can result in Guaranty Fund claims. The contract is voidable, and you face penalties for both the missing cancellation notice and potential elder exploitation.

3. CHave Brenda go back with the cancellation notice for Mrs. Torres to sign as an addendum
   Partial

   Adding the notice after the fact is better than nothing, but the 3-business-day clock should have started when the original contract was signed. The proper remedy is to void the original contract, provide the cancellation notice, and execute a new contract. Also — sending the salesperson who made the original mistake back alone to an elderly client's home is not ideal optics.