A Windsor man is putting out a warning after he was allegedly ripped off by a contractor.
Bruce Kubinec says he paid a $46,000 down payment for the estimated $200,000 addition to his home on Ypres Ave in South Walkerville.
After some demolition work, he says he never saw his contractor again.
As a result, Windsor police have laid a fraud charge against Shawn Piskovic of Ultimate Concepts Design Renovations.
Kubinec tells CTV Windsor it's important to do your homework before hiring anyone.
"He came in and did two weeks of demo. I didn't hear back from him. He never returned calls. He made excuses in text messages. No materials were ordered. He never brought one nail or one piece of wood to the job site. How are you going to build an upstairs addition when you don't bring any materials?"
Bruce Kubinec shows unfinished work inside his home on Ypres Ave (Photo courtesy of CTV Windsor's Chris Campbell)
He says, after doing some research, he found others like himself.
"He seems reliable. He seemed to check out OK. He's had six or seven companies and every one files for bankruptcy. It's a process that he does every year, every year and a half, every company. He creates a new name and that one files for bankruptcy."
Unfinished work at Bruce Kubinec's home on Ypres Ave (Photo courtesy of CTV Windsor's Chris Campbell)
Kubinec says the scam put he and his family in a tough spot.
It was a hard time. For a few months it was very, very, very hard and then now we're kind of back on our feet a little bit, but there's just the money issue. I'm hoping to just get everything done and look forward to enjoying it."
Windsor Police also recommend hiring a lawyer to draft the paperwork anytime there's a transaction involving a large amount of money.
— with files from CTV Windsor's Chris Campbell