Illegal building in Ontario’s new home industry is a serious matter and Tarion takes an active role in finding those builders who break the law.  This article reports on two Ottawa-area builders who were recently convicted of illegal building.

Paul Laforce Building Services was convicted of failing to enrol a Carleton Place home with Tarion, and Gurbakhshish Bal and his numbered company were convicted of 29 counts of failing to enroll Arnprior condominium units and 29 counts of failing to register the business with Tarion.

Laforce and his company face total fines of $7,375, while Gurbakhshish Bal must pay $184,375, plus an additional fine of $3,125 for furnishing false information.

Dave Roberts, Director of Enforcement at Tarion, said that Bal’s total fines are the highest given to any builder in the 13 years he’s been working with Tarion. Roberts, a former police officer, oversees a team of eight enforcement investigators across Ontario.

Although Roberts agrees that catching illegal builders is satisfying, he emphasized that Tarion’s ultimate goal is to get builders to register and enrol their units. “Our number one goal is compliance,” says Roberts, “Our number one goal is not to charge you.”

The article encourages readers to visit Tarion’s website to ensure any builder that they are considering is registered. Consumers are also encouraged to contact Tarion if they suspect illegal building is taking place in their community.