To write the review we have to choose the rating by stars, I had no choice to put one when I wanted to put none.
The proprietor of Ottawa Shed Source, Murray Baker, built an UNSAFE and ILLEGAL attached garage to our house.
He had told us that the construction of the garage 13’X 23’ garage would take 1 to 1 1/2 month to complete. He started at the end of September 2019 to COLLAPSED at near completion from the 9th to the 10th of February 2020, 5 months later after he started.
Part of our house and landscaping in the front and backyard are damaged or destroyed for an estimated amount of at least a minimum of $28,000.00 at the moment. In Spring we will have to start from scratch with new plans, pay the permit of construction, hire an engineer, dig out to expose the foundation to have it analyzed and examined, check the connection of the house weeping tile system, check how or if the foundation of the garage is anchored to the foundation of the house and deal with whatever will need to be fixed and/or replaced and/or redone and/or repaired.
We also experienced what follows with the proprietor of Ottawa Shed Source:
- Without plans approved and without a permit from City Hall, he went ahead with the construction which included pouring of a concrete foundation, framing of walls and roof. A check for a certain amount was given to him that included money for plans and permit. Permit and plans were never paid to the City Hall. We have an invoice from him as proof of payment which is also written ‘plans and permit included’. The cement for the 1st foundation was poured end of Oct 2019. On Nov 1st, 2019 he went to City Hall to apply for construction permit. From his own fault, the foundation cracked and separated and was repaired/poured again in the beginning of Dec 2019, still without having a permit paid and in hand and without approved plans. Multiple times we asked about plans, permit and more with always an excuse of not providing any at that moment.
- he provided City Hall an application for a construction permit with a FORGED SIGNATURE of one of the home owners. He denied forging the signature to the OPP officer and to us by an email he sent on Feb 26th, 2020. Bottom line, he provided a legal document that neither one of us signed.
- he provided us with 3 fake HST/GST numbers
- he failed to have inspections as per codes and regulations at each step of the construction.
-he failed to provide us with the permit, plans, all other subcontractors’ work information, inspections and etc when we asked verbally and/or by email.
- In an email of Feb 20th 2020 sent to us, he wrote ‘I’m calling (name) township , I left monies for permit. Also the engineering company will send a report to them for the foundation report’’ On February 21st 2020, while having a meeting with the Construction Building Official, I showed her the email and she informed me that no phone call, no monies and no report were ever received at City Hall from the Ottawa Shed Source proprietor. On Feb 28th, 2020 he sent an email mentioning that all previously requested information will be sent. Up to the day of writing this review, we have not received any reports of any kind.
- he wanted to make things right to prove he can do the job and kept firmly insisting to rebuild and continue with the construction of our attached garage without us owing him the rest of the money as per contract to which I responded ‘NO’ because we have a lack of trust and he demonstrated lack of skills and knowledge in construction. The collapse of the garage should not have happened to which he responded that it was not his fault. Even with this said, he kept firmly insisting for us to let him continue with the project. He verbally expressed not being happy being terminated. It was confirmed by 2 local skilled and reputable licensed contractors, who saw the collapsed garage and saw all the pictures we took since Fall 2019, who both said 'whoever built this doesn't know what he is doing and used the wrong materials'.
-had an unethical request of payments
- he failed to show on the job site on days he emailed or verbally informed us he would and there were long stretches of him not showing up.
As for the 10 X 10 shed, the proprietor of Ottawa Shed Source informed us it would be built in 2 days. It took 2 months: from end of May 2019 to July 30th 2019 to complete and that after many calls and emails pressuring him to do so. The delay was apparently due to his son hospitalization.
The proprietor of Ottawa Shed Source had many no shows, many excuses for delays and has a habit of lying in person and by emails. Whatever he says, it never happens. What ever he says he will do, he doesn’t and what was suppose to be done, doesn’t get done.
Overall, a lack of professional skills ended with more destruction and damage to the property: front lawn by construction metal bin and digger, damage to the fascia of the corner of the roof of the house, half of the lilac tree is broken, mature maple tree’s bark ripped off by digger, retaining wall blocks dismantled and some block broken, flower garden in the front house buried in clay and retaining wall blocks and interlocks thrown on top and the backyard fence also to be repaired. Photos can be provided on request if ever needed. We took a lot of pictures since the beginning of the construction in Fall 2019 up to February 12th, 2020.
On Internet, similar complaints can be found when the proprietor of Ottawa Shed Source operated his construction business previously under Largo Sheds, Backyard Specialties and River Valley Construction. As soon as he starts getting bad reviews he changes the name of the company. The company’s name changes, not the outcomes.
To write the review we have to choose the rating by stars, I had no ch...