Wednesday, December 5, 2001

Pest control license revoked

ATLANTA - Saying that a pest control operator defrauded builders and homeowners, an administrative law judge with the Office of State

Administrative Hearings has sided with Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin in the case against the operator for numerous violations of the Georgia Structural Pest Control Act.

Administrative Law Judge David Langston immediately revoked the pest control operator license of Douglas Couch, formerly of RSA Services Termite and Pest Control and current owner of Douglas Pest Control, Inc. in Fayetteville, and imposed a civil penalty of $75,000 on him. The judge left the length of revocation up to Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin.

"It will be a permanent revocation," said Commissioner Irvin. "We will continue to weed out those who would threaten the largest investment most Georgians ever make their homes. I regret that we have had to take such drastic enforcement action, but I will not hesitate to take such action again if needed to protect Georgia's homeowners."

In April, the Department of Agriculture contended that Couch as the designated certified operator for RSA Services Termite and Pest Control failed to properly treat thousands of homes for termites. The parent company, R.S. Andrews Enterprises Inc. surrendered the license for the pest control operation and arranged for another company to take over the termite protection for the homes of its customers.

Judge Langston wrote in his decision that Couch failed to perform proper initial backfill treatments on homes, directed subordinates to falsify records and that he defrauded builders and homeowners.

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