Statewide Undercover Sting Catches 20 'Rogue' NJ Moving Companies

A state-led undercover sting targeting "rogue" companies caught 29 "predatory" movers, 20 of whom are from New Jersey, according to the Office of Attorney General.

The sting operation occurred over the course of four days in April 2018. Investigators from Office of Consumer Protection posed as individuals planning to move from an upscale neighborhood in Montville, according to an OAG release.

“Operation Mother’s Attic is a proactive effort to identify and weed out movers doing business outside the Division’s oversight,” said Paul R. Rodríguez, acting director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “By requiring movers to abide by our state’s public movers’ licensing laws, we are protecting consumers against fraud and other risks.”

The investigators found various unlicensed moving companies advertising online and hired them for their “move,” according to the release.

The movers drove to Montville, expecting to find a luxury home full of items to load, and were instead met by a team of investigators, according to the release.

Also awaiting the movers were members of the State Police’s Mobile Safety Freight Unit, who conducted vehicle safety inspections on their trucks, and members of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, according to the release.

One out-of-state moving company cited in the last Operation Mother’s Attic sting in 2016 was among the unlicensed movers caught this year. Go To Moving & Storage of Staten Island was cited as a second-time offender and assessed an enhanced civil penalty of $5,000.

“An unlicensed moving company can be a homeowner’s worst nightmare,” said Attorney General Grewal. “They’ve been known to hold truckloads of property hostage until the customer pays an extortionate fee. And these unlicensed movers often don’t carry adequate insurance, creating the risk that homeowners will be left high and dry if their property is seriously damaged during the move. That’s why we regulate the industry – and why we crack down on rogue operators.”

State law requires all intrastate movers – those performing residential moves that both begin and end in New Jersey – to be licensed by the Division of Consumer Affairs and to observe the statutes and regulations concerning the storage and transportation of household goods.

Read more:

• 3 Unlicensed Union County Moving Companies Busted By AG
• Toms River Moving Company Cited By State For Lacking License
• North Bergen Moving Company Fined For Not Having License
• 2 Unlicensed Bergen County Moving Companies Busted By State

Other public movers cited for operating without a license are:

• ½ PRICE MOVERS, Staten Island, NY
• ALPHA MOVNG SERVICES , Highland Lakes, NJ
• AFFORDABLE & ASSERTIVE MOVING & STORAGE, Pompton Lakes, NJ
• AVELAR TRUCKING, Landing, NJ
• BIN IT NJ, North Bergen, NJ
• CENTURION MOVERS, Willow Grove, PA
• CONSIDER IT DONE, Toms River, NJ
• CRUZ MOVES, Cinnaminson, NJ
• ENTERPRISE VAN LINES, Congers, NY
• GDK LOGISTICS a/k/a GDK INTERNATIONAL, Fairfield, NJ
• H & D TRANSPORTATION, Clifton, NJ
• HELPING HANDS MOVING, Newark, NJ
• I.D. NOBLE MOVERS a/k/a NOBLE ID MOVERS, Hackensack, NJ
• IMPERIAL MOVING & STORAGE a/k/a LION’S DEN ENTERPRISES, a/k/a INSIGNIA MOVING, New York, NY
• J & L MOVING, Hillside, NJ
• LITE MOVING, Franklin Square, NY
• MOVING GOOD, Little Ferry, NJ
• MOVING HERO, Rahway, NJ
• OLD COUNTRY VAN LINES, East Newark, NJ
• PRINCETON MOVERS a/k/a GREAT EASTERN MOVERS, Brooklyn, NY
• RENT A HELPING HAND, Pennington, NJ
• MUNDANZAS, Dover, NJ
• ROADWAY MOVING, Elizabeth, NJ
• ROUND CITY MOVING, Garfield, NJ
• ROSIE’S MASTER MOVERS, Cherry Hill, NJ
• TB MOVING a/k/a TB MOVING & STORAGE, Brooklyn, NY
• WE MOVE YOU, Maywood, NJ
• BIG MEN IN TRUCKS, Sloatsburg, NY

Each mover has the option of seeking mitigation or requesting an administrative hearing to contest the violation and civil penalty.

Call the Division of Consumer Affairs at 973-504-6422 to verify the license status of any mover you consider hiring, and to ask whether consumer complaints have been submitted against the mover.

Consumers who believe they have been cheated or scammed by a business, or suspect any other form of consumer abuse, can file a complaint with the State Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its website or by calling 1-800-242-5846 (toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504-6200.

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