Minnesota HF 3386 Summary

• Requires licensees to provide prospective customers with written performance guidelines before entering into service agreements, with guidelines included or incorporated by reference in contracts.

• Vendors and home improvement contractors must provide written notice and opportunity to inspect and repair alleged defects within 30 days of receiving written notice, with statute of limitations and repose tolled during this period.

• Establishes new homeowner warranty dispute resolution process administered by the Commissioner of Labor and Industry, requiring parties to participate in neutral evaluation conference with nonbinding written determination on scope of repairs.

• Modifies statutory warranty exclusions and adds requirements that written warranties and dispute resolution procedures must be conveyed in writing to homeowners; failure to comply constitutes violation of licensure law.

• Effective January 1, 2011, with Commissioner of Labor and Industry required to report by February 1, 2014 on number of dispute resolution cases filed and whether they used the statutory process or alternative dispute resolution.