I missed the show!!!!!! I had a previous engagement. Will you run it again? Mike is quite the guy and he's Canadian, yes! Thank you. Posted by: Aloma Boyce | Jan 10, 07 11:11 PM

Great idea, THIS is what Marketplace is all about! Mike Holmes and Wendy Mesley should team up every week! Posted by: Craig Jones | Jan 10, 07 11:26 PM

It is great to see and hear of folks like Mike Holmes, however,there is one glaring question - even if the home owner does everything according to the book, ie. takes the time, checks references and permits, sees the accreditation of the contractor etc. there is still no protection. No recourse for the owner for shoddy workmanship and practices of the contractor, and at times the inspectors. Please tell us folks,"where can we go for justice?" Most of us do not have money to do everything over again and cannot afford to hire a lawyer as well as a contractor. I feel we should be able to pay for materials only (with appropriate receipts to varify) and all labour be paid AFTER the work is done to our satisfaction. At least that way I have some small hammer for insentive to deliver the goods and 'Make it Right.' Thank you Blaine MacFarlane Posted by: Blaine MacFarlane | Jan 11, 07 12:01 AM

An effecive commentary on the nefarious activities of a free lance contractor, the infamous Max Pies... It suffices to say that the website is now a forbidden page on the internet. An excellent piece of sleuthing. Posted by: Christopher Brett | Jan 11, 07 12:20 AM

Nice job marketplace. It's just a few hours after the home renovation segment and Max Pies is nowhere to be found on the net!! I wonder how much it will cost to get those decals off the hummer? Posted by: Ken Filewych | Jan 11, 07 01:18 AM

What an outstanding program! It was an eye-opener, instructive, and gripping. Thanks! Posted by: Bob Willard | Jan 11, 07 05:30 AM

Watched Marketplace for years and it only gets better and deals with issues that desperatley needed investigating and resolving. Follow through to final justice is important as a matter of closure. Market place has become the consumers White Knight. Carry on. Posted by: Thomas Dana Snitch | Jan 11, 07 06:58 AM

Part #1 As a certified tradesmen myself I appreciate Mike Holmes effort. Our Municipalities and City Halls are not taking more responsibility as well for the shotty construction going on under their jurisdictions (noses). My Inlaws in Coquitlam have a home that has a falling concrete floor. In some areas the floor has dropped as much as 1 foot. It seems that the contractor did not properly compact the dirt and gravel before pouring the concrete floor. Also with this kind of drop of the floor being as much as 1 foot. There has been some concerns if there is an underground stream running through the property that might be washing away the underlaying dirt. By the way, the plumbing underground is fine. No leaks luckily if your wondering if leaky pipes are washing things away. My inlaws had the flooring raised professionally but it is falling again slowly. The municipality of Coquitlam was notified, the came and they would accept no responcibility to the problem at hand. Why, if we are building 3/4 million dollar homes, can't we have building inspectors watch the building projects more closely. Posted by: Mike Evans | Jan 11, 07 07:25 AM

Part#2 You would think that a nominal charge of say $5-$15k could pay for a building inspector to watch over a project or small group of projects. I like this idea and it's not that expensive considering the high cost of homes these days. Again the Municipalities and City Halls have to step up, after all they hand out permits and business licenses to contractors. In conclusion, I'd like to see the whole construction matter looked at from both ends. I have viewed some recently built homes that are poorly built. I should say decievingly built. Ex. Dry wall put up after all the insulation removed. Ex. Plywood floor sheathing that is a different thickness in areas not walked on regularly.My 115 Lb wife noticed this after walking over to a window while we were viewing a recently built home. Ex. Improper drywall backing that has been tiled over in a shower and is not detectable till 6 months later after damage has occured and a complete overhaul is required. Lets seriously look at the whole picture here. I think the Municipalities should be taking a larger role in working with contractors on projects in their jurisdiction. Thank you, Mike Evans Posted by: Mike Evans | Jan 11, 07 07:25 AM

After watching your show I was saddened but, not surprised by the unethical and unlawful way in which many of these "so called" contractors do business. I have watched "Holmes on Homes" since the start of his show on HGTV so I knew what to expect as far as exposing the results of exceedingly poor and in many cases illegal workmanship. However, I was galled to actually see the way in which these people work and the manner in which they dealt with important issues such as licenses, references, and insurance. As much as I like watching the craftmanship shown by Mike Holmes, his crews, and his chosen sub-contractors, I would also like to see that there would be no need to have shows like his or Marketplace. But, that is in a perfect world and unfortunately we don't and probably never will live in a perfect world. Posted by: Denise Vallee | Jan 11, 07 07:27 AM

This man accomplishes more good things in the area of home reno rip offs. I wish he would play a role in the certification of Home Inspectors, possibly set the standard for these people. I wish he had been around when I bought my 1st house. Posted by: Richard Baldwin | Jan 11, 07 07:37 AM

A very insightful episode. I always enjoy watching Mike Holmes. Very interesting that the MaxPies.ca website is unavailable when I checked it this morning, I hope that crook gets what's coming to him. Posted by: Jamie Andrews | Jan 11, 07 08:59 AM

Excelent show. It will be very interesting to see if the charges against the "contractor" with the Hummer will stand. Please could you follow up on this individual's case?It would be a lesson for many dishonest "contractors" out there. Cesar Arce Posted by: Cesar Arce | Jan 11, 07 09:11 AM

Great show. I would like to see more of these crooks exposed. I was wondering, why didn't you ask about W.S.I.B.? Or why you didn't say anything about cash payments? Maybe you are saving those questions for a future show. THanks Colin Shelley Posted by: colin shelley | Jan 11, 07 09:43 AM

Guys like Max Pie should be put in jail for taking advantage of inocent people. Take responsibility for what you do. Pasquale Frenza Project Manager Montreal, Qc Posted by: Pasquale Frenza | Jan 11, 07 09:47 AM

Fantastic show! Posted by: Debbie | Jan 11, 07 09:54 AM

Good show. I watch Mike's show a lot and I see how frustrated he gets at shoddy workmanship done by these fraudsters. But if all home owners would just follow Mike's tips, these so-called home renovators would be out of business. Posted by: Bill | Jan 11, 07 10:40 AM

I love the work Mike Holmes does regarding peoples misfortunes .It would please me to no end to see these unscrupulous contractors named and blacklisted . It's hard enough to buy and maintain a home and most peoples reno's are probrably tied to a second mortgage or some other windfall . People (contractors) should not be able to continually rip people off with shoddy work . There should be some sort of ombudsman for this industry as I'm sure that this is just the tip of the berg. Posted by: James C Toole | Jan 11, 07 11:13 AM

Hello: I watched this show, and i thought it was excellent, and i am glad that they have charged the Contractor in question. The laws need to be changed to keep scum like this from getting in your front door. It is a scary thought that these so called "Expert's" are out there, and this show exposed them as Con artists. Great work. Mike Holmes is the best. Posted by: Ron | Jan 11, 07 11:44 AM

This was a terrific show. Why is there so little enforcement of this industry? If there is a sector of the construction industry that needs to be more regulated - this is it! Posted by: Anne Gammage | Jan 11, 07 12:14 PM

We love Mike's show. But always wondered why is he not able to devulge the name of the contractors who's work he's repairing? That way people would have the ability to not select them as the preferred contractor. ...Walt Posted by: Walt Dexter | Jan 11, 07 12:50 PM

Max Pies got me for $250 for a false asbestos inspection. He is truelly a scam artist. I smelled it from a mile away. He wanted $8,000 for a clean up job. He said that if he was to give me an invoice then he would have to report it to the city and in case I ever wanted to sell my house that then I would have to prove that there is no asbestos. I paid him and asked him to be gone, the other two inspectors that I had come in after this scam artist could not find any sign of asbestos anywhere in my house. I am glad you uncovered this scum bag. Posted by: Frank RIzzo | Jan 11, 07 12:54 PM

An excellant piece of investigate journalism well done from hosting to filming to editing... Posted by: BOB Bell | Jan 11, 07 12:55 PM

Awesome, way to go Wendy!!! Although I like Mike Holmes... his show is nothing without actually exposing the names of these unscrupulous low-life vultures who prey on the unsuspecting and trusting people. keep up the great work CBC! Posted by: Rocco Scocco | Jan 11, 07 01:01 PM

Great show! We are in the process of getting quotes now from contractors and this show was like taking a contractor 101 course! We could do our own show...most have been great but one contractor I caught in many, many lies! My husband and I couldn't believe it! Thanks for the lesson! I'd love to see a follow-up show with Mike Holmes! Holly Johnson New Brunswick Posted by: Holly Johnson | Jan 11, 07 01:08 PM

I love the Holmes on Homes show and this was a great example of how many bad or sub-standard contractors are out there. It's too bad more cannot be done about the really crooked ones. Posted by: Erica in BC | Jan 11, 07 01:08 PM

Finally a name to go with the shody work. The other question is: Where is the building inspector and what purpose is a building permit if there's no inspection or accountability? Good program. Posted by: Kevin Milnes | Jan 11, 07 01:23 PM

There should be a registry where these complaints can be posted. (BBB). There are good contractors out there and they get painted with the same brush as the frauds. Personaly I do my own work because I don't trust general contractors but there are jobs I can't do or I don't have the time to do them, in these cases I educate myself and follow the workers closely and talk to them to make sure they can do as good of a job as I can. Posted by: Ken Cormier | Jan 11, 07 01:27 PM

Nice Work Posted by: Michael | Jan 11, 07 02:03 PM

This show left me wondering just how incompetent, malevolent, and malicious one has to be in order to prompt appropriate action by canadian courts and governmental systems. An airtight case it would seem was presented against MacPies and not only was nothing done, but, it appeared that nothing would be done. Blatantly predatory and yet STILL in business. Posted by: Mike | Jan 11, 07 02:09 PM

WHAT A GREAT SHOW ON JAN 10 07. THE SUBJECT MATTER WAS GREAT,THE PRESENTATION WAS CLEVER. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! AN' WHERE WERE THE COMMMERCIALS HAHA Posted by: paul | Jan 11, 07 02:15 PM

Maybe I missed it but I would have thought there would be more of a mention of the fact that when you renovate you have the perfect opportunity to properly insulate where you are renovating your home. Many renovators still use batt insulation because it is just cheap and meets code. It rarely does a good job in critical areas. Ridgid Spray Foam should have at least been considered as to it's value and comfort. Other than that a very important show and well done. S. Lahman Posted by: Stephen Lahman | Jan 11, 07 02:25 PM

Very informative... The only thing missing from this report is identifying a few GOOD contractors. Posted by: C Ng | Jan 11, 07 02:57 PM

I t is terrible that a so-called contractor can put a construction lien against a property after the senior dies. No contract in writing as it was her son my brother. the rest of the family knowing she took out a line of credit to buy the property nothing on it was paid off after almost 3 years. He can tie the estate up in court bring for 4 years no avadavat of documents but a summary given after 3 years. And legally he still gets his day in court a judgment supposed to be paid asap against him 3 years ago is not paid as ordered but that is ok. And to top it all off we have no support other than to get a 4th lawyer because it is in the courts. Go figure once a lien goes it goes and there is no support even when the first 3 lawyers said it is a fraud as even today we have a bunch of receipts but no bill. We even contacted 2 companies and have verification they were never paid. They cannot believe that the person can still get money when he iddnt pay. We have a avadavat that he paid a person money to sign a letter saying he had been paid as an employee. Well it has taken its toll on the trustees physically and financially but go figure he has to have his day in court. A judge makes a ruling on a motion when that judge is named in the motion of the plaintiff and the assets of the estate are frozen. No government body will help it is the only answer no matter who you call and that is to get a lawyer. Where? Who? and How do they expect us to get justice. To top it all off the work was mostly illegal and only 1 permit gotten. Posted by: Helen Jones | Jan 11, 07 03:18 PM

You GET what you PAY for. Posted by: Dan | Jan 11, 07 04:02 PM

My two favorite shows Holmes on Homes and Marketplace. The January 10th episode showed why these are the two best consumer protection shows on television. After this show I am sure you will see a new Hummer with MAX DOUGHNUTES printed on the side. The law suits will be coming in to a non-existent company call Max Pies. Posted by: Marv Hounsell | Jan 11, 07 04:13 PM

Mike Holmes is considered a hero to a lot of people myself included. I carefully watched a lot of his shows and used the knowledge I learned in building our new home. I think I was able to evade most of the unscrupulous trades people because of his very informative shows. He should open a school for home inspectors and contractors with strong emphasis on honesty, integrity and ethics. More power to you. minerva Posted by: Minerva Hoffman | Jan 11, 07 04:20 PM

Yet another informative look at the ridiculous state of house building in Canada. It is time for a National Registry for Contractors and the building trade in general. Contractors should be licensed and required to be on a registry so that potential home owners can see what is up with the Contractor that they are potentially hiring. Contractors should not be able to just fold their companies and start up new ones to hide how bad they are at doing the work. I think that Mike should get the Order of Canada for the incredible work that he has done and the exposure that he has done in an industry that just doesn't seem to care about their customers. Posted by: Andrew Robinson | Jan 11, 07 04:50 PM

This is great show! Building departments hear of and see bad renovators all of the time. What most people do not realize is that the Building Department is also a source of information. Some people avoid the Building Department because they believe that we will only place a road block on their construction project or not allow it at all. Our purpose, as Mike Holmes states, is to protect the health and safety of the public. We work with owners, designers and contractors in meeting the minimum standards of the Ontario Building Code. Building Officials are well-trained, certified and have seen and dealt with thousands of renovations. We have a lot of knowledge to assist owners, designers and contractors with the permit process and the successful completion of home renovations. So do not hesitate to come and speak with us. Praise to Mike Holmes in his role! Recently, he spoke at the 50th anniversary of the Ontario Building Officials Association (OBOA) in Niagara Falls. In Oshawa, I will be working with my IT division to have your video available on Oshawa's website to inform the public. Well done! Mike Leonard Chief Building Official Oshawa Posted by: Mike Leonard, Chief Building Official of Oshawa | Jan 11, 07 05:42 PM

That was a great show. If only there were some kind of real policing agency out there. Even new home builders have issues. They hire contractors that do poor work because our municipalities allow them too. I don't think that building inspectors go through every house that a permit is issued for in a new sub-division where 40 or 50 of the same model of home will be built. I think that they ramdomly pick houses and go through them. Speaking from experience as I am about to close on a new home with incomplete, incorrect and missing finishes. The accredited building inspector that I hired found structure that is built below code and yet when I call the city they tell me that the permit has been passed. Now I have to fight with Tarion and the builder to get satisfaction. If the builder didn't care enough to make sure that the finishing is what I paid for then why would they care about structure that's hidden inside of the walls. The province or specifically the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing needs to step up and change the way this game is played. Posted by: Kwame | Jan 11, 07 05:42 PM

Interesting to note www.maxpies.ca is no longer available to view today (the day after the broadcast). The cached version on Google shows what Marketplace showed, but today, it's gone! Posted by: Linda Deschênes | Jan 11, 07 05:43 PM

In some households the odds are stacked againist the contractor, no matter what is done or changed, it's never right for them. They want discounts, free work done, insist on paying cash (yes, the contractor still has to pay the taxes involved), want to have old wood used, or old sinks reinstalled. The household does not understand that this may be the best installation possible with the budget at hand. Some households insist that illegal renos be done (including no permits). Promising that they won't tell. Everyone in construction wishes that they had Holmes's budget and sub-contractors of perfection. Oh, and a blank cheque to work with. Lets see holmes come in and do a kitchen reno for 1,000 dollars that includes using old and new material, and get no complaints. (and also be able to put gas is his truck) It's not just the work ladies and gentlemen...it's the trusting relationship between the person that wants something done and the person who is doing it. An open and honest dialogue before, during and after the project makes everyone happy. Home owners please remember CONTRACTORS DON'T WORK FOR FREE. Help yourself by being involved in the process. The selection of materials, the purchasing, and delivery (undamaged of course) of goods and the decisions being made when things start to go sideways. I can only whole heartedly agree that shoddy work is unacceptable, but homeowners have to stand back and realize what part of this is caused by them. Lack of budget, lack of plans, lack of involvment, or admission that what they have asked for is not really what they want. If you are not ready for this then call Holmes and get out your cheque book because that Kitchen is going to cost you $15,000. Hoping my workmanship is always better than the customers demand, don Posted by: Don | Jan 11, 07 05:56 PM

Mike Holmes knows his stuff. I would like to see Mr. Holmes as the minister of housing. This man should be the only one to write construction codes, qualifications of contractors, work inspection manuals etc, etc, etc. This is a MAN that surely deserves the Order Of CANADA. A great CANADIAN. With my respect, Jim Posted by: Jim Lighthouse | Jan 11, 07 07:34 PM

I was really taken by what Mike had estimated for the cost of renovations for that bathroom. Is it not possible to get good work done up in Toronto without having to pay such high end prices? Eh, you can still get a HOUSE in NL for $15000-$20000. Posted by: Barry | Jan 11, 07 08:36 PM

I thoroughly enjoyed the program. In Manitoba we do not have a Renovators License. However, I decided to change my business card and the cards of my employees to indicate that we were registered with the Workers Compensation Borad (with the telephone number), the City of Winnipeg Business License Number (with the telephone number) and the Insurance company (with the telephone number). I thought that any client could at least have that information up front. I hope the bad guys get caught, fined and put out of business. Great work Wendy. Posted by: Neville Trevenen | Jan 11, 07 08:43 PM

Really enjoyed the show! It’s great to expose the bad apples in the home renovation industry, but will it stop them from operating? These scumbags are untouchable, and they know it. Bad contractors will continue doing crappy work and ripping people off as long as they can get away with it. Trouble is, very few of the renovation victims are lucky enough to be rescued by Mike Holmes. For the vast majority of homeowners who have been emotionally and financially devastated by unscrupulous contractors, the biggest challenge is figuring out what to do next. Contact a lawyer? Complain to local building inspectors? Seek additional financing? In these types of situations, homeowners are on their own without a road map. I’d like to see a follow-up show that advises people (step-by-step) how to recover from a botched renovation. Posted by: Ross F. | Jan 11, 07 09:06 PM

Excellent show and it was great to see Mike get the opportunity to present a strong case against a clearly unethical contractor. When Mike talks of red flags, I think when the contractor says he worked on the project at a major hotel and the airport, you need to ask, "Why are you working on little projects in family homes?" One positive outcome of the show is that the contractor's site went down about 10 minutes after the show and is still down a day later. Hopefully it will stay down. Posted by: Bruce Sparks | Jan 11, 07 09:27 PM

It seems that no one is in the home owners corner. The home owner has to be there with a video camera watching EVERY part of the construction, getting it all on tape, because they'll need the evidence when they go to court! It looks like I am going to have to take a course in all aspects of home construction so I can to the work myself! Posted by: G. D. McBride | Jan 11, 07 09:37 PM

Great program Wendy and Mike. Be sure to follow it up with a sequel so we can see if any of those fraud charges stick. Mike provides a great primer for those renovating their homes. I have learned alot from watching his shows and have had better reno projects because of it. The other thing that Mike does not mention in this show is that you should closely supervise the work that is going on and ask questions about everything. A good contractor won't mind. Posted by: Jacqueline | Jan 11, 07 09:42 PM

I was happy to hear that not everyone failed Mikes criteria miserably and what was interesting to note is that most contractors spoke as though they run into customers that demand only the lowest price every time. Poor salesmanship on their part. What does this also say about all these websites that promote themselves as associations or websites that have the maxpies add that states "provides high quality renovations, home addition/construction, kitchen renovations, bathroom ". In todays marketplace search engines rank sites like maxpies higher on the list because they have more links from other sites. None of these sites did their homework either in promoting them. Its really too bad as I suspect Leo Dos Reis has carefully sheltered all his assets to ensure he does not lose a dime. This is very upsetting .. I guess I am asking why, when we know this has been happening for decades has the government not stepped in to assist in controlling the abuse and establishing penalties that hold these individuals accountable. Good luck to all those persons affected. Kind Regards, Sean Duncan Belleville, Ontario Posted by: Sean Duncan | Jan 11, 07 10:56 PM

I have never watched Maretplace before but I was changing channels and saw Mike Holmes on so I stopped to check it out, as his show is a family favorite in our house. I was really impressed with the program. That was excellent reporting from Wendy Mesley and her crew. I would really like to see Wendy and Mike team up again in the future. I will be watching Marketplace next Wednesday and throughout the session if this is typical of the kind of programming you provide. Cam Posted by: Cam | Jan 11, 07 11:13 PM

Thank you Wendy & Mike Fantastic show!!! Seems its time for consumers to put heat on politicians. A contractors license seems not to be good enough. Renovators and contractors need to be held to a higher standard. This story parallels the current issue surrounding mortgage fraud with regards to the lack of legal tools available to victims. FYI - Seems the website for the contractor mentioned in the story is out of order. For those who are curious though, there is a sight called archive.org. This sight has a search engine called "waybackmachine". Search the waybackmachine and you will find archived web pages. Don't forget the boots and shovel for the trip back. Posted by: Ed in Waterloo | Jan 11, 07 11:57 PM

Great show. Thanks for giving us comsumer a checklist to follow. Why wouldn't the city officials publish a list of renovators that are licenced, insured and bonded. Seems only right to get a permit and the list. Also the inspectors would have checked their work with permits. I had to post my licence in my business in case we were inspected so should the contractors. Posted by: Warren Calvert | Jan 12, 07 12:21 AM

Hey, great show, we even watched it from the frozen north, where building construction is another whole ball of was. Just an idea, why not have Mike Holmes come at it from another whole slant in the construction trade and that is have a hotline for trades whistle blowers, as many trades work together on renovations and many know who are the good and the bad. There has to be a improved way of straightening up the building and renovation industry and it looks like there are not enought building inspectors to stay on top of it. Also workshops put on in cities where huge home building is going on so that all trades people could attend and view Mike's findings and become more aware of other trades problems. These could be organized put on by Home Depot and other businesses in the communities. Mike could have a video segment at such workshops and then good old question and answer sessions. Maybe Mike could have a show where X number of trades people show up at a work site and Mike point out faults and good points so that all could be more aware. All of these shows in relationship to renovations and remodelling have been nothing but positive for home owners and have spured on a whole new business. Thanks CBC - keep up the fantastic educational information programs. Posted by: LEXIE MORLING | Jan 12, 07 08:07 AM

Loved the show, keep them coming. Posted by: doug robb | Jan 12, 07 09:59 AM

I saw your show the other day on how some construction companies are ripping people off. I think our government desperately needs to address this problem so that we can eliminate these types of companies. I would like to see Mike expose all the companies he has come across in the GTA that should not even own a hammer let alone perform renovations. Posted by: Mark of Brampton | Jan 12, 07 11:22 AM

Thank you for the show. I guess we got off easy. We had a leak in our ceiling recently and hired Max Pies to fix it. He was too busy chasing bigger fish to bother with our small job. why did we choose him? First, it was an emergency. Then we looked on the web. His site taked about maintenance as opposed to repairs. I thought that made sense. He was also one of a handful that mentioned working with slate roofs which is what we have. Again, thanks for the show which I watched from your web site. Yeah! Posted by: Farokh Monajem | Jan 12, 07 11:25 AM

I applaud Wendy, Mike and CBC Marketplace for helping to expose fraudulent contractors. We offer a wealth of information, seminars and renovation tours to help homeowners make more informed decisions. Doing one's homework is a critical first step to a successful home renovation. Plans for a dream renovation should not end up a nightmare of extra costs and dissatisfaction. Sadly, many do. Peter Simpson Chief Executive Officer Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association Posted by: Peter Simpson | Jan 12, 07 01:23 PM

I am an Architectural Tech. designer/draftsman and it upset me beyond belief when I see this type of thing going on. During the past year as a designer I have had to pass a number of government exams and attain insurance to provide services to the public. Every designer must have a Building Code Identification Number (BCIN) in order to provide design services to the public and to purchase insurance. I would be great if all levels of Governments including professionals, builders and building supply chains could get together and better inform the public. Building permits and licenses are required; we must inform the public why these laws are in place! Builders and design professionals spend a great deal of money each year to protect our clients through ongoing education and insurance coverage. It is important to check the license statues on everyone (builders and designers)! See https://csconramp.mah.gov.on.ca/onmah/searchPre.do and make sure you hire a qualified designer. Call your City or Town building department for support or if you have any questions. Ask your building department if you need a building permit! I love market place and I think that Mike is providing a great service! Posted by: Andew Masse | Jan 12, 07 03:05 PM

I so sorry I missed the show could you please repeat it Its absolutley fabulous that atlast someone is exposing these contractors Posted by: janetwilliamson | Jan 12, 07 08:36 PM

I saw your program on Wednesday night. It come as no surprise to me that there are companies out there ripping people off. Those contractors should be exposed and put out of business. How about placing their names on a black list so that they can't register themselves as a business ever again. The government needs to get their act together and work closer with industry such as with people like Mike Holmes. We need to put these criminals out of business. I nominate Mike Holmes for Minister of Industry. Great job CBC, keep up the good work. MarketPlace rules Posted by: Mark | Jan 12, 07 08:57 PM

What a great show - I learned a lot. Thanks - I look forward to your future shows - we need more investigative journalism like this - why are not newspaper picking up and why no government action?? "Marketplace " -you have a regular customer now !! Bravo Zulu CBC Gord ps got a licence ? permit? references ? LOL Posted by: Gord Jenkins | Jan 13, 07 08:17 AM

Take your time. You might learn something. Plan. Read about renos. Rome wasn't built in day. Research. Follow up on references. Don't rely on anecdotal evidence. Great webcast. Thank you Posted by: Garry W Thompson | Jan 13, 07 09:06 AM

It is the municipalities responsibility to inspect construction projects. It is not, however, their responsibility to actually assume any legal/financial responsibility for what the inspectors pass (at least without great legal hurdles). Now why is that? Are inspectors merely front men for the tax collectors? Posted by: Richard Weatherill | Jan 13, 07 12:10 PM

I did not watch this show and do not own any real property, i.e., a house, condo... One of the many reasons that I donot own is that the construction values are so godawful that even a complete amateur as myself can see problems. Who wants to buy the junk they have for sale at prices that are beyond more than 75% of the population? Posted by: Susan | Jan 13, 07 04:22 PM

Watching this show brought back with vivid reality, all the misery my husband and I went through three years ago when we hired a builder to build a home for us. Throughout the project he bullied, threatened, and did whatever he wanted regardless of how the plans for the home specified. When we complained of shoddy workmanship, he demanded full payment for the completed project in advance and threatened to lien the property. When we refused to comply he shut the project down and abandoned the site. He helped himself to our wrought iron fence worth $12,000. He fraudulently cashed a $15,000 cheque intended for a sub-contractor. When we reported this to the police, they told us to go after the bank, who refused to do anything, hiding behind the privacy law. We found out during this time that he had no licence, no insurance, no references and no ethics! We borrowed another $80,000, hired contractors to finish the home and moved in. Three months later the contractor came back from vacation, saw the completed home and immediately slapped a lien on the property. He is suing for ‘loss of profit’ although he did not complete the project. Shouldn’t contractors have to justify their claim before being allowed to lien a property? He refuses to appear before a lawyer for ‘discovery’ and is now on his fifth lawyer, leaving a trail of unpaid bills. His last lawyer has unpaid accounts for over $10,000. We are senior citizens, 72 and 66 yrs old. Building this property was our dream, which has turned into an ongoing nightmare. Frightening that there are so many similar stories out there…… Posted by: Jean Dodds | Jan 13, 07 04:52 PM

Loved the show! Yahoo for CBC and Mike Holmes!! It was quite an eye opener. It was disheartening to learn that there was little recourse, even if there was a fraud charge against these thieves. I wish Wendy would have given us more insight into how we could actually change the laws (municipal, provincial, federal -- whatever) to ensure that these types of things CAN be prevented in future. Can CBC pursue this??? Posted by: J. Hamilton | Jan 13, 07 08:10 PM

Thank you for the great show . I'm so glad that you named that crook that was stealling everyones money. i love Mike Holmes And the fact hes Canadain is gravy .. Thank you very much.. CbC rules Posted by: Todd McCarthy | Jan 13, 07 08:14 PM

From what I have seen while looking at new homes and it doesn't matter who or where they are built is the reason I will and have not bought a new home.As far as I am concerened most of thew material is second rate. The homes I have bought have been at least 8o years old. Nothing fancy and I have done all my own renovations I am not a professional carpenter I ask a lot of questions on how things should be done and choose what I think are the most logical Don E Posted by: Don Eggleston | Jan 13, 07 08:49 PM

I enjoy your program extremely informativ and interesting. Keep up the excellent work and continue to outperform the US on our national programs. Roy J. Allison Posted by: Roy J. Allison | Jan 14, 07 08:47 AM

Great show. My wife and I will be watching it every week from now on as we do the 'Holmes on Homes' show. I just wish Mike was able to identify who did the crappy work on each of his shows so consumers knew which contractors should be avoided like the plague...the way Max Pies will now hopefully be avoided. As for the government actually doing something about this criminal activity...that won't happen until some high level government official gets stung themselves by one of these vermin. Posted by: Mitch Blackmore | Jan 14, 07 01:16 PM

Unfortunatly you still can access MaxPies web site via www.maxpies.ca/Directory/links.htm There must be something that can be done to shut this terrible man down. Posted by: Nicole | Jan 14, 07 06:23 PM

I want to thank Mike and Marketplace for bring this to the public attention. As he has pointed out to all who watched the show there is a lack of interest by City Hall everywhere in seeing that all work is inspected and that City Hall does something about placing Adds on local television to inform home owners what an inspector will do to benifit the Home Owner. If this was done years ago then nobody would be in this situation as a Home Owner would already have this information. Renovators Liscense, Insurance, work history and contact list, etc. I've had a bad experience working for one of these Midnight Contractors in that working for him for three months I had this bad feeling about his site visite's and the shoddy workmanship going on about me. Changes in staff on a regular bases, guys with no training calling themselves Electritions and Plumbers and me the only one I knew who had a Carpenter Certificate. In the end by not fallowing my gut feeling about this guy he not only cheated the customers he also cheated me out of my pay check. I've have reported him to the Labor Board to see if they can get my money owed to me and of course they do not have any power as we all thought they had but in reality the government does not chase them down nor do they send in the Police to bring him to Justice after a reasonable amount of time. In my experience with this "Contractor" and the "Government" you the victom lose all the time. My own fault ass the Carpenter who listen to his talk about all the work he had and how his business was growing and how he needed qualified tradesment as he had so much work that he wanted me as his Project Manager to help him keep to jobs on track and finished on time. If you would like to here how he stole over $50,000 from clients and his employees over $8,000 the call me and I'll give you all the info you need to send this Bandit to jail where he belongs. 1-204-582-8085 Home 1-208-996-8085 Cell Thankyou Mike. Posted by: Allan MacKay | Jan 14, 07 07:28 PM

wow, really great show it's really good i just started watching it and the "How not to get nailed"is pure genius! Posted by: maya | Jan 14, 07 09:07 PM

There was a recent handout from the local college and one of them was a "learn to be an inspector" course. For 5K, I could learn enough to take the test and possibly pass. I know nothing of home inspection, but I've watched enough HOH to know that it would be something I'd want to do. But I don't have the 5K or the time to take the course, let alone the fees for the test itself or any contacts in the construction industry at any level. I hate finding mold in my rentals and have lived in substandard second suites so I would love to be able to try to correct some of these problems. Posted by: ydg | Jan 15, 07 01:33 AM

If people are having problems with their contractor; why don't we licence these contractors just like doctors, nurses, teachers are licenced across Canada. Posted by: Jack Layton (Leader of the Federal NDP) | Jan 15, 07 09:13 AM

Hi, watched the show, it was good. However, there was one mistake made that should be corrected. A homeowner's home insurance policy will cover damage resulting from faulty workmanship of a contractor that leads to fire causing damage to one's home. The insurance company will repair the fire damage. The insurance company will then look to the contractor to recover the cost of repairs to the home, this is called subrogation. That is why a contractor should carry their own liability insurance, as an insurance company will look to recover their costs from the negligent party. This also holds true for water damage that may result do to faulty plumbing and so on. Pat, former insurance adjuster Posted by: Pat Beechey | Jan 15, 07 09:47 AM

Well done to Wendy and Mike for educating the Canadian homeowners. The problem is not with the crooked contractors but our legal system for allowing this to continue. If you put a fresh baked pie (no pun intended) out in plain sight sooner or later someone will take advantage of the situation. MAX PIES although a lousy opportunist is still providing a service. A service he has no ability or right to provide but one our Government seems to allow. Try to swindle the Government out of money and see how fast the reaction is. Unfortunately there are thousands of MAX PIES who regularly change their names and only a few Mike Holmes. Posted by: Pauline from NS | Jan 15, 07 01:43 PM

Missed the episode, but look forward to the possible repeat, or will watch it from a high speed internet connection. My concern living in Calgary, Alberta is just how desperate we are for ANY contractors. They are hard to come by so we really just have to take what we can get. People are getting recruited at the Home Depots. I cannot imagine booking 3 contractors to come by and assess the job. I would be lucky to get one contractor to return my phone call! Posted by: S. Spence | Jan 15, 07 03:02 PM

As a home inspector I can tell you first hand what Mr. Holmes is encountering is a real concern. Some of these renovators need to be put out of business permanently. Through their negligence someone is going to die. Just look at some of the electrical issues Mike uncovers repeatedly in his show. Good work CBC and Mike Holmes! Posted by: Raymond Wand | Jan 15, 07 10:29 PM

i would like to say that mike holmes is awesome and that i would like to find out if that max pies guy ever finaly get charged and put in jail. so can you do a follow up on this show that you did. Posted by: Jamie | Jan 16, 07 01:55 PM

We all need to get after our politicians to change things, we need laws to protect consumers from these "illegal" renovators. Posted by: Kerri | Jan 17, 07 12:03 PM

I often view your program with trepidation and a little fear at some of the outrageous scandals you uncover. It is unsettling to think that contractors can take us for a ride and then if things go wrong we, the consumer, are not only on the hook but can also be threatened by the selfsame "professional" when he places a lien on the property. It is a sad state of affairs when unscrupulous people consciously rip off homeowners and there is no real legal recourse (other than claiming for fraud) to recover lost time and monies in this business. I think Mike Holmes is one of the few real honest tradespeople who understands the level of trust that is required in this business. I think Holms on Homes is cautionary tale for homeowners and should be required viewing when seeking professional renovation projects. Do it again. Posted by: Chris Lam | Jan 17, 07 12:08 PM

I circled the date to watch the show because I have also lived through "contractor hell". Unfortunately, I missed the show because of other commitments. I agree with the person who commented that it is the judicial system that is letting these creeps get away with unprofessional behaviour all because..."they did SOME 'work' at your home"...regardless of the quality. I dragged my do-nothing contractor into court only to be told by the judge..."you two work it out between yourselves". I asked my lawyer why we even bothered to show up. My deadbeat contractor is now down the road, with his sign on the lawn, putting another Mississauga family through custom home construction hell. It just goes on and on! The whole experience took over 2 years and was so stressful for me, I came down with a bad case of breast cancer. Now, how do I get compensation for that?! Posted by: Paula Mercuri-Fetterolf | Jan 17, 07 01:44 PM

I am in the process of being sued by a contractor and he has put a lien on our house. We had a flood that was covered by our insurance and went with the contractor our insurance adjuster suggested. When all was said and not quite done! He sent us a bill for 23,000 more than his estimate. We thought that the estimate that was done for the insurance company was the contract - I know shame on us! We did however; tell the contractor that he was not to go over the 29,000 that was estimated. (3 times) Anyway, I want to know how to go about changing the law that protects the contractors allowing them to put a lien on my house prior to proving that they are owed anything or how I would go about creating a law that will protect the consumer from these crooks. Marketplace - If you know where I should start, please email me. Posted by: Jennifer Lees | Jan 17, 07 02:19 PM

remember in any type of construction the work that can be done in a house or a commercial building is by a licensed TRADES PERSON or a supervised apprentice. When the government and business operaters decide once again that paying for young persons to become registered apprentices. NO MATTER WHAT TRADE. Then maybe you will see the lack of unskilled labour in all construction. Unskilled because of the lack of formal education in their trade. Posted by: paul | Jan 18, 07 10:22 AM

Fraud is a crime. So why are the majority of criminals getting away with this? What do law makers saying about this? Are victims helped? Now I know why my father did his own renovations in his house. Anyone like Mike Holmes should be the ones governing the industry. The perpetrators of fraud like MaxPies should be in Jail. Posted by: Watson Woo | Jan 18, 07 12:26 PM

Good to finally see this out in the open. I have been waiting for my hero Mike Holmes to bust this guy. Not only does Max Pies take advantage of their clients, they also mistreat their workers. I am still waiting to recieve two months worth of pay from him, from two years ago. As a fresh tradesman still learning, I learned quickly that Max Pies Was not out to provide the finished product that the customer expected and deserved. I have a few stories I could share!!! Posted by: William M. | Jan 18, 07 07:40 PM

I'm 41 years old and have never written to a show, called a radio station, or even filled out a comment card at a restaurant. But I welcome the opportunity to share my thoughts on your episode with Mike Holmes. He is A REAL CANADIAN HERO. Thanks and keep up the good work Mike! Dawn Hall Posted by: Dawn Hall | Jan 19, 07 06:47 PM

This guy Leo Dos Reis has a long history. Silverman at Citypulse did a story on him 8 or 9 years ago. He is obviously still at!! Posted by: bob | Jan 20, 07 10:05 PM

Great interview. I live in Calgary and see a major flaw in the building/renovation industry. Mike stresses permits, but permits are only good as the inspector. I purchased a new house 3.5 years ago from a builder who had the proper permits, but the city passed the permits even though the house was not built to code. Who is to policing the city inspectors? Keep up the great work! Kevin Posted by: Kevin | Jan 21, 07 01:34 PM

Dear Wendy, I watched your show with Mike Holmes the other day. I am very glad to see that crooks in the business are being exposed to the public. Wonderful. As a home renovator I would like to see a show that promotes "the good guys out there". Mike Holmes' show and the piece that you did with him is helpfull and promotes awareness, however I feel that instead of bashing the crooks all the time how about promoting people that do great work. People that take pride in their work, people that love their work, people that are passionate about their work and let me remind you that there are quite a few out there that fall in that category. Let's talk about the contractors/renovators that get their business through word of mouth and reputation. I would be very greatfull to see on television a second phase to your first piece: the phase that promotes good people, skilled tradesmen and labourers. Yes, there is a lot of dirt out there but there is also a lot of amazing people that take pride in their work. Please don't forget to show that too. Thanks, Posted by: Gueno | Jan 21, 07 05:23 PM

as an electrical contractor we have to ask the electrical safety authority in ontario why they are pushing self inspecting for residential. i have seen some of the most disgusting work in my life. i have been in the trade for 28 yrs. now. Posted by: tom coulthard | Jan 21, 07 08:45 PM

We too had a similar problem with being shafted by a contractor. Not only did he not finish our work, but he also charged building materials to our local builders account and then used these materials at other job sites. We took him to court. We won our case. But this is what we won. 1. The privilage of paying a lawyer $1200. for services. 2. We were still responsible for the fradulent charges on our builders account even though the crook had admitted to the court that he had done this without our knowledge. 3. We still had to pay more money to get our job finished. 4. Even though there is a judgement against him, we are responsible for hunting him down and getting the money from his employer. What did he do? He left Newfoundland and went to British Columbia to do carpentry and home repairs. The minute he sets foot on this island again to work, he will be visited by the sherrif's office. You want to know the worst. He was my husband's cousin. Hey, you know who you are.....I am stilling looking for you. Posted by: Paula from Newfoundland | Jan 24, 07 01:01 PM

Good show, it helps. Suggestion: There are codes and laws that sounds fraud bells but some are real. My uncle is a contractor and the Ontario code has some doosy official requirements in the building code that may cause homeowners to be overly paranoid. My uncle had to ask me [one access to the web] find the phone number to order the official building code in Ontario Canada for the new year updates to the codes. What he had to do next was extraordinary, he had to refuse jobs and undercutting other contractors was out of the question. Any contractor customers that don't believe whip out the Ontario building guide [up to date] if they don't, sprout a wheel and move along. Phil. Posted by: Philippe McIntyre | Jan 24, 07 02:21 PM

Great show I especially liked the way Wendy chased Leo Dos Reis down the street, was that anger in her voice? I watch HOH as well but one thing missing was confronting these so called contractors so... Why doesn't Marketplace and HOH team up more often, it's been mentioned more then a few times, and it's a great idea. So CBC what say you? Posted by: Terry | Jan 25, 07 04:16 PM

Well done Wendy and Mike. Keep up the great work, and push for new laws and regs! Cheers, B. Posted by: B. Leach | Jan 26, 07 01:47 AM

Great show! Max Pies should change his name to Max LIES! My comment is this: Marketplace and Mike Holmes advises to ask for proof of contractor certification and insurance, but what do these documents look like? What should it say on these documents? If a contractor shows me a piece of paper that says "Insurance" on it along with a bunch other fine print, how do I know that this is real evidence of insurance? Can I determine if whether or not a contractor's claim of insurance is legit? Thanks! Great show! Posted by: Patrick | Jan 26, 07 12:16 PM

Great show. One question, what was the name of the basement reno company who had their website copied (in part) by Max Pies? Posted by: Roger | Jan 26, 07 12:21 PM

My grand parents where ripped of by max pies, i hope that (insert mildly vulgur name ) gets tossed in jail for his crimes. He left half there hous destroyed and we had to pay around 87k to fix it to the point of liveability. Posted by: Perry Davidson | Jan 26, 07 08:54 PM

As Chair of the Renovation Council in Ottawa , I would like to talk to Ms Wesley regarding our industry and your program.I invite you to sit at A round table discussion and hear from real renovators . Some comments Mr Holmes talked about are not good for our group and another view should be discussed.I called before but no one returned my call.Please feel free to look at my website to learn more about myself.mjmluxuryrenovations.ca. Your show was great for public veiwing but some major details were left out. Please contact me back.Thank You 613-523-0574 Posted by: Mike Martin | Jan 27, 07 07:15 AM

This only confirms my suspicions. I don't want to own a house [in Canada]. It seems that our government likes to protect businesses. At least in the US, even though theyhave badly written laws, they are at least randomly enforced, unlike in Canada which has no laws to protect us from shady builders. Posted by: Thomas | Jan 28, 07 02:55 PM

Good job on that show. Nice to see some justice done. Keep it up and i hope to see some more show like this . Posted by: Rick Gignac | Jan 28, 07 07:05 PM

I don't watch much T.V. but Marketplace is one show I try not to miss. I join the other people in asking "Why do you not name the contractors who have done bad work"? Is there a law prohibiting such a simple statement as "ABC Company of [name of city] did the work on this building" ? This seems to be simply a statement of fact and I fail to see how it could be construed as libel. Posted by: Irene | Jan 29, 07 02:44 PM

This show only goes to show that contracting is more profitable and with less side-effects (read: jail-time) than being a scam artist. So what if the website got shut down? Most viewers don't realize how easy it is to start up another one that looks just as nice as the original - much less than the $20k that Max makes from one scam job. It is very likely that this man will never see jailtime, that his accounts will never be locked and that he will - even after being caught many times over - be laughing all the way to the bank. Welcome to the beginnings (or perhaps its already too late?) of an overly tolerant society. Posted by: vishal patel | Jan 31, 07 03:37 AM

It's baaaaack: www.maxpies.ca/ ... Hummer and all! Posted by: Susan | Feb 5, 07 11:35 AM

It has been a couple of weeks since you aired this show, which means Mr. "Max Pies" has been to court. Can you air a follow-up please? What happened in court? Thanks! Posted by: Brenda Soltis | Feb 7, 07 01:43 PM

After viewing your excellent broadcast, its a wonder why homeowners don't save themselves alot of aggravation by consulting beforehand the Ministry of Government Services' Consumer Protection Branch prior to hiring a contractor. After reading the contents on the department's website at: http://www.gov.on.ca/MGS/en/ConsProt/STEL02_045911.html it would appear to me that they provide excellent information to help consumers avoid any potential pitfalls. Maybe this would be worth mentioning on a future broadcast on the subject. Posted by: Renomike | Feb 7, 07 04:56 PM

A follow-up piece on the outcome of the Max Pies lawsuit would be nice. By the way his website is backup. www.maxpies.ca Posted by: Tim | Feb 13, 07 10:56 PM

Any updates on MaxPies...this company should be out of business. Where can we go to put more pressure on changing regulations etc so this does not happen? Posted by: Barry MacEwen | Feb 14, 07 12:31 AM

Have always enjoyed Mike Holmes, but wondering why the "bad" renovators cannot be named on national TV...therefore giving the general public a heads up on them. Secondly, I want to say, construction laws/codes are only as good as enforcement used to keep them in check. This seems to be the major problem, no enforcement of the laws regarding fraud,When a city inspector failed to see the 3 foot crack in a roof rafter, and the dip in the roof, and comes back with the comment " the materials used are perfectly fine" you know "Joe Public is behind the 8 ball on hiring a contractor. Rafter manufacturer came out for inspection and said this should never have been used or sent to the job site...duh!!!Writing to the Better Business Bureau in your city/area is still a good reporting idea, and many people still call them for references or reports of any problems any customers have had. A copy of your letter to Corporate and Consumer Affairs in your province doesnt hurt either... Posted by: P.Wilkinson, Winnipeg | Feb 14, 07 01:23 AM

I too noticed that the Maxpies.ca website was off line shortly after the show... unfortunately, it's up and running again as of today. The pictures on the website also look surpisingly like the ones in dispute from the show... Posted by: Ray Watier | Feb 15, 07 12:15 PM

I hope Max Pies goes out of business. Good for you for uncovering this fraud artist. My friend was taken to the tune of $2000. He asked for a deposit for some work and never showed up. She did file a claim in small claims court, but she had to subpoena him personally, and Dos Reis was nowhere to be found. His office said they didn't know where he was. We had started to set up our own sting, just to serve him with the subpoena, but ran out of time to carry through. He was eager to respond, though. We jusst didn't have time to set up an appropriate location. What was frustrating for my friend is that she went to the police, and they refused to do a thing. Personally, I could not believe that the police would do nothing about a business out there that is regularly committing a fraud. Posted by: Darya Duma | Feb 15, 07 02:41 PM

Can't believe Max Pies still has the audacity to have a website! Not much of a conscious huh? Posted by: Mina | Feb 18, 07 10:01 AM

Mike Holmes is informative and really seems to want to "do it right". I've learnt a tremendous amount from his programs. The Marketplace programming was no exception. Posted by: Tony White | Feb 18, 07 07:39 PM

The Max Pies website that was not accessable after the orginal broadcast of this show, is now accessible on the internet again. It might be a good idea to do a follow up on these criminals. Posted by: Andrew M | Feb 20, 07 01:45 PM

Great episode. Hopefully this wil educate people on how not to get riped of, and maybe get rid of some of the bad contractors. Keep up the great work Mike. Posted by: Anthony Fong | Feb 21, 07 10:10 AM

Mike is absolutely right, there are also associtions out there to help with renovations. I have personally dealt with S.A.W.D.A.C. the siding and window dealers association of canada and aal of there members have had to meet stringent criteria to be granted membership and are among the best I've dealt with Posted by: Kevin Gibson | Feb 26, 07 10:03 AM

This show sickened me. Once again it proves that anyone can go to a hardware store, buy a hammer and a bag of nails and walk out calling themselves a contractor. My husband went through years of training both in class and on the job site, has his journeyman status, his red seal and still gets outbid for jobs by these lowlife creeps. Wake up people!! If you want quality work, ask to see their ticket. Any self respecting tradesmen will be glad to show you. Just keep in mind, if you want cheap....you will get creeps. Posted by: C. Denton | Mar 12, 07 10:37 AM

I hate to say it but the hummer to me is the first clue that the guy is a scam artist. I know alot of contractors through the types of Jobs I have had and absolutly none of them could afford a hummer nor would they want one. On the other hand I would love to work for Mike Holmes even if it was just to make him coffee or to carry his tape measure. Posted by: Shirley | Mar 13, 07 09:05 AM

I wish there were more contractors named during this show or maybe a future show. Someone has to be able to get these ripoff artists off the street. I enjoy Holmes on Holmes and wish he too could name names! If he could, just maybe, some of these contractors just might start doing the jobs they were paid to do! Is there a listing somewhere of the contractors that have ripped people off? It would be nice to see it. Posted by: Sandi | Mar 14, 07 11:39 PM

I was looking at www.toronto.net and under "construction & maintenance" sub section "renovations & repairs" is listed "Max Pies". They are the first listing. Don't they clean up their lists? Posted by: Doug Fowler | Mar 15, 07 07:56 AM

should the Public make a protest at the court case?????? where? when? how? Posted by: Brian | Mar 15, 07 09:24 AM

Everyone here has to realize you can't do anything about this. Canada doesn't enforce a damn thing and nothing ever gets done in this country. No matter what it is nothing is enforced and nothing ever gets done, its the Canadian way. If it was my family that was ripped off I would be way too busy taking care of business myself then to be posting on a website... So I suggest you guys grow some backbone and get out there and steal Leo's Hummer! God Canadians make me sick... GET EVEN! Posted by: B | Mar 17, 07 04:02 PM

I saw the update to the Marketplace show on Max Pies. To let you know, he's still on the net. Do a search in google for Max Pies and it shows up, although methinks he's going under a different name as the header to the webpage is different. Posted by: Philip Cavanagh | Mar 17, 07 04:13 PM

Maxpies tried to rip me off for 1,000 and I sued him and won in court. I then had my money taken out of his account plus court cost. He was not very happy at all. This man is a crook and should be in jail.Come on Government stand-up and put this jerk in jail for a very long time. Robert Posted by: Robert Burke | Mar 17, 07 08:06 PM

I am a Max Pies customer and dealt of course with Leo. However, in my case I did well, 90% because he sub contracted all my work to an excellent firm. Once the deal started, I basically did not see Leo again, except was money was due. However, the team doing the work did a fantastic job and basically took over for Leo in terms of customer service. That said, Leo's advice from a design standpoint was sound, and his creativity had a positive influence on the project. Despite this, I'd already decided not to give him a reference due to his premium markup, and my misgivings about his style. Before this show I'd already noticed that the work he claimed to do, including the gorgeous basement on his business card was not his own. Having now seen what I've seen, I can only say that I am very lucky, as I signed on blind faith without doing my homework, and merely was lucky he sub contracted me to a reputable team. I truly feel for those taken in by his salemenship. Relative to the other firms quoting my job, he was clearly the most professional, and seemed the most knowledgable. Pete Posted by: Pete van Oene | Mar 20, 07 10:44 AM

I must say, this was quite the show - as an occasional viewer of both Mike Holmes and Marketplace, I suppose this was only a matter of time before there was a team effort. Unfortuantely I have to admit though I do have a few negatatives to interject to the glowing commentaries that have been previously left here. First of all, I grew up in a contracting household. For the last 65 years, my family has built custom homes all over the Toronto area. My Grandfather and Father were (and are) licenced carpenters, and my brother and husband are apprentices. I work in the business at an established Building Supply that has existed for over 80 years. And I have seen contractors and their work. I have to agree that there are many many shoddy tradesmen out there that get by resting on their laurels and blowing smoke at their potential clients. BEWARE OF SMOOTH TALKERS WHO PROMISE YOU THE WORLD FOR NOTHING. Because lets face it people - renovating and building costs money. You want quality results, then save up. Know what you want BEFORE YOU START. Research things. But most of all, remember, NOT EVERYONE IS OUT THERE TO SCREW YOU. (even though Mike Holmes suggests this) (commentary contiued Below) Posted by: Theresa Wilkinson | Mar 21, 07 01:54 PM

(continued from above) In fact, I will say honestly and openly, the problems that exist are not completely caused by shoddy contractors - consumers have a huge responsiblity. First of all, gone are the times where you can do anything without a permit - SO DONT EXPECT TO, and for crying out loud, don't trust some schmuck who tells you that you can get away with it! Use someone that you have at least heard of - the best contractors DON'T NEED TO ADVERTISE because their work speaks volumes. Now I can understand that if you are new to a communtity, or not sure of who to ask, calling someone out of the yellow pages can be a daunting thing. But by far the easiest, and usually safest way to find names is to walk into your corner hardware, or lumber yard (and NO, Home Depot probably won't help you out in this regard) Talk to friends and family, or even neighbours. 'Cause let's face it - if a contractor sucks, word will get around! (commentary continued below) Posted by: Theresa Wilkinson | Mar 21, 07 01:55 PM

(Continued from above) The second issue we need to address is the total lack of any semblance of order when it comes to our government helping out in the building sector. Most homeowners will find as you begin a new project, not only is it difficult and frustrating to obtain permits, (in most municipalities) but the people that are supposed to be your safeguards (ie. building inspectors) just don't cut it. Not only do a great percentage of them seem to be completely UNTRAINED, they miss what they are supposed to catch, and NOT SHOW UP (holding up jobs which cost YOU money) Just look at how easy it is for someone to become a home inspector! Take a course, get tested and voila - new job! (where you get to charge $300 -$400 a pop - for what?! COMMON SENSE) Do you think any of these people have ever spent so much as an afternoon on a job site? Picked up a hammer?? FRUSTRATIONS galore for (god forbid any of us exist) the PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. Put it this way - after 35 years of building million dollar homes to renovating doghouses, my Father has just about had enough. Here's a list why: (Continued Below!!!) Posted by: Theresa Wilkinson | Mar 21, 07 01:55 PM

(Continued from above) 1. Run a business. 2. Spend your entire life becoming a guru of all things carpentry (believe me I'm not the only one who thinks this) 3. Create a reliable network of sub-contractors that you can trust, and in turn trust you. 4. FIND JOBS (although they tend to find him - ever heard of repeat business from 20 years previous?) Of course you have to go up against every Tom Dick or Harry that can purshase a chop saw and all of a sudden advertise his carpentry skills. 5. Hire trustworthy and trained employees, WHO WANT TO WORK and produce as high a standard as you would. 6. Spend hours and hours pricing jobs for consumers who don't even have the decency to call back. 7. Balance the customers wants, budget and dreams, creating a reality for them that will please them for years to come. 8. On the flip side have to tell people that they can't always have what they want for the budget that they have (that's a toughy, let me tell ya) 9. Have customers, as you finish their jobs, HOLD BACK afer the job is finished beacuse they have either RUN OUT OF MONEY or simply feel that the shouldn't have to pay. Let me tell you - this is not a fact of a crappy job being done - I mean simply paying for materials that reside in their new pad (ie. bathtubs, whole kitchens etc.) 10. And finally, last but not least, we have a savior arrive on the scene that has a not only has a big mouth, but truly at times, makes more mistakes than should be shown on television. Posted by: Theresa Wilkinson | Mar 21, 07 01:57 PM

I`m beginning to feel like the law in general should reflect more towards the `seller beware` instead of the `buyer beware`. Why is it that consumers have no recourse but to pay to be ripped off. Its nice to hear all the steps needed to ensure good reno jobs but even when those steps are taken we`re still being devastated and in the end we keep hearing this too old refrain ---buyer beware ---Not good enough---I am trying to get my house ready to sell in the next 3 months. Ive checked the associations and the services offered on the net ---No one appears to need certification or licencing to offer reno services. I live in Montreal and would love it if Mike Holmes could include Quebec in his Canada tour for 2007 but that doesnt seem to be possible...All I need is a reputable and referenced reno contractor....marg Posted by: marg beresford | Mar 22, 07 05:01 PM

Great show,after reading some of the comments that others have say I would also like to see the industry of reno contractors regulated better then the system we have in place now. Posted by: Ian Grimshaw | Mar 26, 07 10:09 PM

Hi, i am very surprised to see this episode of CBC, and i am very happy to know these valuable and important tricks when calling a contractor. Thank you CBC i am going to save these ideas in my e-mail to use them when i buy my own home. Posted by: Shamil | Jun 3, 07 11:44 AM

Theresa Wilkinson, I hear you - but your rant was confusing. Yes there are bad contractors out there giving the good ones a bad name and Yes there are good customers overshadowing the many nasty ones. Mike Holmes is providing a great service to both customers and contractors a like by sending a message to those willing to rip others off - by showing the public that knowledge is power and blind faith could get them in trouble... by the way, Leo Dos Reis opened up another business as PLATINUM HOME RENOVAIONS. I noticed the site has been cancelled - but it will likely not be the last from him. Posted by: Mary C. | Jun 3, 07 03:05 PM

Absolutely appalled at what goes on in the contractor world - I truly enjoy watching Wendy and her crew on Marketplace. My two favorite shows regarding renovations are Holmes on Holmes and Real Renos! I only wish I lived in Toronto. I found this program one of the most informative that I have watched. I wrote the five items for the checklist as we would like to have a kitchen reno done, but I have to admit, I am absolutely terrified now!!! Thanks so much for a great show. Posted by: Bev Spencer | Jun 4, 07 08:58 PM

I saw the show today june 9 th and was wondering if this guy was still in buisness. Guess what the no 1 on google under Max pies gave his phone Called him up and asked for a quote. No problem. This master SCUM lives and works on. So much for the exposure meanwhile the govt sits back on thier duffs while frauders like this keep on trukin. Posted by: w Morris | Jun 9, 07 08:20 PM

I caught your show about Max Pies today. You deserve credit for exposing this guy. You did, however, miss a pertenant question of Mike Holmes. You should have asked what he thought potential customers of home reno projects woyuld say if a contraCTOR CAME IN WITH THE PROPER PRICE, PERMITS, INSURANCE AND MULTIPLE REFERANCES. tHEY WOULD SAY..."woh, woh, woh! tHERE IS NO WAY WE CAN AFFORD TO DO THE JOB PROPERLY. cAN'T YOU CUT SOME CORNERS"? aS A RENO CONTRACTOR WHO DOES NOT CARRY INSURANCE OR GET PERMITS FOR MINOR JOBS i CAN TELL YOU THAT IF i WERE TO OPERATE LIKE hOLMES, ( AND EVEN HE CAN NOT submit a competitive bid), I would be told that the job is too expensive. People can not, I repeat, can not afford to do thease jobs the way Holmes portrays it. (sorry about the upper case and lower case fiasco). Mike Boileau Posted by: Mike Boileau | Jun 9, 07 09:00 PM

I am getting screwed by a contractor as I write this. His scam is he goes in works really hard the first two days and then sits on his .... for however long he wants. So I have no grass and big hole in my yard and an uneven patio which is not completed yet and he threatened to let the job sit until December if anyone bothers him or rubs him the wrong way. Where is the justice, this guy keeps going from home to home, taking people's money and not doing the work. When your contractor makes comments like "you can't take it with" or "you are so vain" when you have paid him for a project that he hasn't completed, this guy has a lot of nerve, I wonder how many people he has scammed BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY HE KNOWS THE SYSTEM AND PLAYS A BIG GAME. Posted by: A annakos | Jul 10, 07 09:18 AM

Hello Wendy; My Girlfriend and I have gone through a similar situation with shady builders....lucky for us he only touched our garage but that was enough to educate us on how many snakes are in the world. The only suggestion that I have is that if the losers do not have a license to operate go after them and be persistant! I found out that the one we dealt with had no City of Edmonton Business License or Pre-Paid Contractors License which are reqired to build in Alberta especially if money is taken up front. Now with my persistant nature I hounded the Alberta Government and we will see this loser in court this coming Tuesday (August/07/2007). It took a year but this is what people have to do to get this kind of vermon out of business....even if has to be numerous times.....it cost them money and negative exposure which eventually makes them disappear. Posted by: Adam Badzioch | Aug 5, 07 05:26 PM

Loved your program "How Not to Get Nailed". It's true that the law regarding "Builders Liens" needs to be overhauled desparately. Out here in Alberta with the oil boom everyone and his dog is now a "Contractor" or "Renovator". Surprise, surprise but out in Alberta you don't even need to be certified as a journeyman carpenter... just pick up a hammer. People are their own worst enemies...COST COST COST!!! the true cost is illustrated and quoted and most people run to the lowest bid: hence are responsible for their own problems. When I had my water heater, gas lines and furnace replaced I asked for and got the following: 1) Quotes with start and end dates and penalties for failures 2) Copies of Journeyman's certificates 3) Proof of Insurance and I also phoned 4) Proof of Workers Compensation paid, and I also phoned 5) 5 references and I also phoned 6) all permits issued with final inspection performed by other government inspectors...in the end!!!!!!!....I paid about 20% more than the fly-by-nighters who stopped by for a quick buck...but I got a quality job that is not a threat to my families safety....(fire and carbon monoxide) The moral of the story...there is no free lunch and ignorance is no excuse. Posted by: Bob | Aug 18, 07 01:03 AM