The damage caused by the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes resulted in a surge of complaints by consumers against their building contractors.  To save consumers money and to alleviate the load on the court system, Broward County has instituted a process of binding arbitration in which the consumer can bring charges against the contractor and the case is heard in front of an arbitrator after an investigation by the county's contractor licensing enforcement division.  The county's Central Licensing Examining Board must approve all judgments. The county plans to hold hearings twice a month. For more information, or to file a complaint, go to www.broward.org/building/ and choose "File a Complaint Against a Contractor" in the right hand column.