Toronto couple loses $480,000 in botched roofing renovation

A Toronto couple are still in shock after being pressured into paying over $480,000 for incomplete renovations and unnecessary work.

Toronto resident Angelique Davies describes what she’s gone through over the past several months as “stressful, upsetting, and scary.”

Davies and her husband Frank Nevelo say they’re still in shock after being pressured into paying almost half a million dollars for home repairs they say will have to be done over again as well as some additional work that wasn’t needed and other renovations that weren’t done at all.

The couple have an older home with a roof that had some leaks needing to be repaired.

Nevelo said he’d previously chatted with contractors he’d seen in the neighbourhood.

“This fellow in a pick-up truck recognized me and knew my first name was Frank and gave me a brochure,” he told Pat Foran.

It was December of last year when Davies and Nevelo say they asked one of those contractors to check their roof and say they were told that it required major repairs. The say the contractor claimed it was a disaster waiting to happen.

“They went up and took a look and said the condition of the roof was so terrible (that) it was going to cave in,” said Davies, who added that the renovation company had them feeling “very frightened.”

Within two months, the couple forked over $480,000 to the contractor, who was identified in the contract they signed as Thomson Roofing and Construction.

They couple say said their roof was then ripped up, leaving their home exposed to the elements. They said, at one point, there were 20 different leaks.

The workers then allegedly claimed that there were other serious problems, Davies and Nevelo said.

“They said, ‘Oh no, there is something wrong with the walls. These walls will not hold up a new roof so we have to fix that’,” she added.

The couple also allege that the company created huge electrical problems in their home, which led to intervention from the Electrical Safety Authority and threats to turn off their hydro.

Further, Davies and Nevelo said the contractor used a jackhammer to break up an area near their foundation, claiming they needed major foundation work.

“It’s breathtaking. It’s amazing they made me pay that, they made us pay that,” said Nevelo.

When CTV News Toronto reached out to the contractor on the couple’s behalf, our emails were not returned. The company’s phone number was no longer in service and the address on their website is incomplete. Another address listed for the company on the couple’s contract took CTV News to a building but there was no unit number.

Davies and Nevelo said they have not heard from the contractor in six months and they’ll have to hire another one to re-do the work and finish the job.

Experience has been a ‘horror show,’ says homeowner

“This was just a horror show. We couldn’t sleep in our beds with rain and snow coming through,” Davies said.

“But has it been repaired after paying all this money? No, this had not been repaired yet and will have to be done again by a trusted contractor.”

The couple said they’re hopeful they can get back some of their money somehow but wanted to share their story to warn others.

“I feel frustrated. I’m mad at myself for trusting them,” she added.

When having renovations done, its important to be aware of high-pressure sales tactics and before you hire a contractor, always get multiple quotes and don’t pay in advance. It’s recommended to also be cautious of companies going door to door, and if you’re hiring someone for one job, don’t get talked into other work without doing your research.