Senior peeved at paving company

BY BILL BRADLEY

Never pay a contractor before the job is done. That is what retired Attlee Ave. resident Walter Young advises homeowners when approached by contractors to do home repairs or renovations.

“Never trust a contractor to do what they say they will do. Get a contract from them, make sure they are bonded, because if they are not and they get hurt, you are liable. Lastly, never pay them before the job is complete,” said Young.

Young did not follow his own advice and paid $3,200 to GreenLight Paving of Hamilton before the job was complete.

On July 13 Young noticed homeowners in his neighbourhood were getting their driveways paved by GreenLight Paving.

“I was told the company was from North Bay and did a good job, so I had them over promptly to give me an estimate and get on with the paving. They subsequently ran out of asphalt. They said they would be back on the Tuesday to finish the job. I paid them the full amount trusting their word,” he said.

When the crew did not show up Tuesday, after repeated phone calls to their number, Young decided to check with the local construction company where they got the asphalt.

“I found out they were not from North Bay but from Hamilton. On Wednesday afternoon they did return and said they would finish the job but not that day, but Friday. No show again.”

Young finally confronted GreenLight’s Bob Hanna at the asphalt supplier in Sudbury.

“Bob Hanna, confirmed he was from Hamilton and apologized and said it was the fault of an employee who failed to return to my driveway. He said he fired him and that he would make sure that my driveway would be finished promptly in the next few days.”

Young took the licence of Hanna’s vehicle and also had the plate for the small maroon truck the crew had been driving while soliciting customers. Once again, Hanna failed to show up.

“I called the Sudbury police and the RCMP. The police said to take it to small claims court.”

The astounding fact was that everybody else in his neighbourhood paid in advance before the jobs were finished.

“One person even paid in advance before GreenLight Paving even started. Fortunately his driveway was finished, but then again you begin to wonder what kind of job these people really do. Will we all be lining up at Canadian Tire for driveway sealer next spring when the cracks appear? I hear someone already has cracks in their driveway just weeks after it being done by Hanna.”

Northern Life attempted to contact GreenLight Paving in Hamilton, but there is no such company listed in the Hamilton phone book.