Home Renovator Convicted of Cheating Elderly Homeowner Sentenced to 90 Days In Jail

NEWS

August 5, 2011

On August 3, 2011, Hubert Belisle, operating as H.B. Expert Pro-Renovations in Renfrew, Ontario, pleaded guilty to engaging in an unfair practice under Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act, 2002 and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and two years probation.

In March 2009, Belisle approached an 85-year-old homeowner in Ottawa and sold him on various repairs and improvements to his house. Belisle estimated the work would cost $31,000 and requested and received a deposit of $15,000. Over the next few months Belisle talked the homeowner into several other repairs and received more than $18,000 in additional fees – even though the original work was not completed. The homeowner, a WWII veteran and widower, has lived in the house since 1960 when he and his wife designed and built it. 

In addition to the jail and probation, Belisle was sentenced to a restitution order of $34,591. Conditions of the probation include forbidding Belisle from:

• entering into any consumer agreement with a consumer unless the agreement complies with the Consumer Protection Act, 2002;
• accepting money in advance of completing the work; and
• having direct or indirect communication with the elderly homeowner.

Belisle will return to court in January 2012 to face additional charges from different complainants.

QUICK FACTS

• Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act provides for fines of up to $250,000 for corporations and $50,000 for individuals convicted of offences. It also provides for jail terms of up to two years less a day for each offence. The act also empowers the court to order offenders to pay compensation or make restitution to victims.

LEARN MORE

• Visit Ministry of Consumer Services for tips and advice on how to be a smart consumer.