Redress by a Licensing Authority: Settling Home Improvement Disputes in New York City

First, it costs consumers almost nothing to use, since there are no filing fees and attorneys are unnecessary. Second, it offers the full relief of specific performance rather than the limited amount of damages which are allowed in small claims court. Third, it makes use of expert fact-finding in a technical area in which the typical judge or small claims arbitrator is at sea (and hence may lean too heavily on "credibility" determinations). Fourth, it is supported by a powerful sanction-license revocations-that is not available to other dispute-settlement tribunals.

Finally, it is capable of handling a large number of consumer complaints at a reasonable cost.