Legal Question in Construction Law in California

Re: contractor working under suspension

The California Supreme Court has recently held that an unlicensed subcontractor could not recover unless it was licensed at all times during a construction project, regardless of whether the contractor had been unjustly enriched.

That said, the California Court of Appeals has held that under the Labor Code a general contractor may be assessed for contributions to unemployment insurance, disability insurance and employment training, as well as personal income tax withholding, for work performed by unlicensed subcontractors engaged by the general.

The Business & Professions Code gives CONSUMERS who have contracted with unlicensed contractors the ability to sue for restitution or reimbursement of all monies paid to the unlicensed contractor for any act or contract.

I am unaware of cases where a general successfully sued for reimbursement of all monies paid to an unlicensed sub, although the reasoning of the California Supreme Court above might support this result.