Tarion on call to protect home buyers

Former police officers make up enforcement staff

(NC)-The members of Tarion Warranty Corporation's Enforcement Department protect home buyers and the Ontario building industry from problems that can result from illegal building activity.

David Roberts heads Tarion's Enforcement Team, which consists of eight former police officers. Each member brings seasoned investigative expertise to their role, and as a result does not require a significant amount of additional training to begin the search for illegal building activity.

Tarion is a private corporation that protects new home buyers according to the terms of the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act. The Act requires that builders in Ontario provide warranty coverage to home buyers and it stipulates that they must register with Tarion and enrol every housing unit prior to the start of construction. Tarion is responsible for enforcing the Act and managing a guarantee fund to ensure that the builder's warranty will be honoured. Since its inception in 1976, Tarion has guaranteed warranty protection for over 1.3 million newly built homes in Ontario.

Roberts' team is in the field everyday, working with municipalities, building officials and Home Builders' Associations to uncover builders who haven't registered or enrolled their homes with Tarion. "If a builder does not register with us and enrol homes they are building, then there is a good chance that homeowners will not find out about the warranty coverage they are entitled to by law," says Roberts.

He further points out, "When you buy a new home that's properly registered and enrolled, you have peace of mind knowing that the builder has met a number of standards required by Tarion."

In 2004, Tarion's Enforcement Team identified 5,792 un-enrolled homes. When illegal building is discovered, offenders are charged and the courts can levy fines, up to a maximum of $100,000. In 2004, a total of $575,000 in fines was levied by the courts and two repeat offenders received jail time. Recent convictions are posted on Tarion's website. If you suspect that illegal building is going on in your community, call Tarion's anonymous phone line at 1-800-786-6497.

Whether you're a new homeowner or a new home builder, knowing that Tarion's Enforcement Team exists is reassuring. By uncovering companies that break the law, they're helping to keep the entire new home building industry on a solid foundation.

To check whether your builder is registered with Tarion, visit www.tarion.com and click on the "Find a Builder" area on the upper right hand corner of the homepage, insert your builder information, then click search or call 1-877-9TARION.