Mississauga residents claim snow removal company took money and never did the work

Homeowners say snow removal company never came A group of neighbours in Mississauga say they paid for a snow removal company to keep their driveways clear, but no one ever showed up.

A group of neighbours in Mississauga say they paid for a snow removal company to keep their driveways clear for the winter, but are now doing the work themselves after no one showed up.

Sherif Mikhail said he paid $530 in advance to the snow removal company.

“I sent him the e-transfer with the money and he said he would see me on the first snowfall,” Mikhail said. “The first snowfall came and he didn’t show up.”

Mikhail’s neighbour told CTV News Toronto that he paid the same company $490, but no one came to clear his driveway either.

“I have cameras on my house and I can see if anybody’s been here … he has not been near this place,” Scott Moddejonge said.

A third customer said that he arranged for snow removal for his mother’s house and gave the company $500. He said he is now shoveling the driveway himself.

“It drives me crazy,” Ron Vankeulen said. “To think these guys are collecting all this money and then they just sit back and disappear.”

The group said they paid a company called Brant Hills Landscape Group and Snow Removal of Burlington. The company is owned and operated by Christopher McSwain.

When contacted by CTV News Toronto, McSwain said that he was aware of the fact that he has some “unhappy customers.”

“We have missed some snow removals, but try to get to all our customers when there is a storm.”

McSwain also said that his contracts or emails say that snow removal will only happen if there is a minimum of five centimetres of snow or more.

CTV News Toronto found that McSwain also operated another snow removal company called Alton Village Landscape Group. The Better Business Bureau gave it an “F” rating for complaints involving taking deposits for clearing snow and then not doing the work.

In a follow-up email, McSwain said he did have happy customers, but some unhappy clients will get a refund at the end of the season.

The neighbours in Mississauga say they aren’t sure they will get their money back.

“Every excuse he can give, he has given,” said Moddejonge. “And now he won’t even answer a text or email or anything.”

With files from CTV News Toronto's Pat Foran