In this article for the Toronto Star, Bob Aaron encourages consumers who are thinking about buying a new home to ensure their builder is registered with Tarion Warranty Corporation before they make their purchase. 

In Ontario, every builder or seller of a new home must be registered with Tarion and must enrol each home prior to its construction. Failure to follow these rules constitutes illegal building, an activity that Ontario courts take very seriously.

In 2004, a total of $575,000 in fines was levied by the courts against illegal builders and two repeat offenders received jail time. And through the first three quarters of 2005, Tarion’s enforcement team discovered 1,175 un-enrolled homes and 80 unregistered builders.

In addition to avoiding their registration responsibilities, some builders have also been convicted of providing Tarion with false information. Toronto builder Alexander Boros was convicted of trying to register and enrol a home under another builder’s name, without that builder’s knowledge. The result was a $75,000 fine. 

Dave Roberts, Director of Enforcement at Tarion, is quoted as saying “Most Ontario builders work hard to provide quality homes and maintain a positive reputation. The extremely high fine that Mr. Boros received show that the courts recognize the damage his actions could have had on a legitimate builder’s livelihood.”

Buyers can protect themselves by asking for the builder’s Tarion registration number and then verifying it with Tarion, or by visiting the “Find A Builder” section of www.tarion.com.