Toronto, ON, August 10, 2009 – Darin J. Burns of Greely, Ontario was given a 45-day jail sentence in an Ottawa court, and fined $25,000 in a Perth court after he was found guilty in both cases of illegal building. Mr. Burns failed to enrol two homes he was contracted to build – one in Ottawa and one in Carleton Place. Leaving homeowners with half-finished houses and huge liens on their properties, and failing to pay trades people or appear at either trial contributed to the hefty sentences.
“Mr. Burns showed a total lack of respect for both the homeowners and trades people. He entered into contracts to build the homes, saw them to about 50 per cent completion, then abandoned the projects – leaving the homeowners stranded and the trades people empty-handed,” said Rob Mitchell, Director of Industry and Government Relations. “Builders like this tarnish the reputation of others in the residential construction industry and we will not tolerate that.”
“It is so important for homeowners to research a prospective builder before signing a purchase agreement. It can save plenty of heartache,” Mitchell added.
Under the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act (“the Act”) every builder or vendor of a new home that is sold in the Province of Ontario must be registered with Tarion, which protects the rights of new home buyers by regulating the home building industry, and administering and guaranteeing the province’s new home warranty program. Home builders are also required to enrol every new home with Tarion prior to its construction.
Tarion’s Enforcement team, which includes a number of former police officers, works with municipal officials and others to uncover illegal building in Ontario. During 2008, their efforts led to 379 convictions and $851,000 in fines being levied by the courts.
Illegal building can be anonymously reported by calling Tarion at 1-800-786-6497, or by sending an email to enforcement@tarion.com. New home buyers are also encouraged to visit the “Find a Builder” section of Tarion’s website to confirm that their builder is registered.
About Tarion
Tarion Warranty Corporation is a private corporation established in 1976 to serve as the Regulator of the new home building industry in Ontario. In this role, Tarion licenses all new home and condominium builders pursuant to provincial legislation. This statute requires new home builders to provide purchasers with warranty coverage that is guaranteed by Tarion. The Corporation also establishes minimum time standards for after-sales service, and adjudicates issues between homeowners and builders. As of the end of 2008, over 1.9 million homes in Ontario have been protected under warranty by Tarion.
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For more information, please contact:
Corinne Smirle, Sr. Manager, Corporate Communications at (416) 229-3863 or corinne.smirle@tarion.com
