Bad builder: an epidemic of renovation scams in Toronto

On a summer evening in July 2021, Amin went for a walk after dinner as usual.

He had lived in the quiet and green neighborhood of Lorne Park, southeast of Mississauga, for more than a decade, sharing a modest home with his family and parents, who often stayed with them.

While passing by some of Lorne Park's larger residences, Amin tried to pay attention to details he could use as inspiration for his next home.

Amin (who agreed to talk to me on the condition that I not use his real name) dreamed of buying a large multigenerational home where his family could split up.

When he started looking in earnest in 2020, his realtor convinced him to also consider vacant lots, not just finished homes.

Amin was worried - he knew nothing about building houses - but he liked the idea of a custom home built to his specifications.

By fall, the perfect plot had appeared: a plot in Port Credit, just five minutes from his current residence.

With 7,500 square feet, it had enough room for a 4,200-square-foot home and a spacious backyard.

Happy, Amin took out a loan secured by his existing home and bought the land.

Now he was looking for the perfect contractor for his perfect