Over 100 charges laid in historic investigation of illegal home construction operations in Ontario

Up to 124 charges have been laid against an Ontario-based construction company for building and selling homes illegally. 

An investigation by the Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) has discovered that Albion Building Consultant Inc. — alongside several business partners — has been caught engaging in operations that resulted in the nonsanctioned construction of 40 homes. 

According to information provided by the HCRA, this is not Albion’s first offense, as the business has been hit with multiple prior convictions for illegal building construction and failing to enroll new homes with Tarion — the current administrator of Ontario’s home warranty program.

In 2022, Albion was ordered to pay over $200,000 in fines for illegal building procedures. 

Then in 2024, the HCRA revoked its operations license to build and sell homes in Ontario, specifically because the organization had violated current administrative trust standards and it was deemed they could not operate within the borders of legal construction practices. 

Even with this mandate from governing agencies, allegations still surfaced after the fact that Albion continued operations with a revoked license.

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“Albion has repeatedly disregarded the law governing new home construction,” says Wendy Moir, the HCRA’s Chief Executive Officer and Registrar in an official statement. “The HCRA will continue to increase penalties on this former licensee until it stops putting the public at risk.” 

As a result of continued malpractice, In February 2024, the HCRA executed a search warrant at Albion’s offices, which resulted in the seizure of thousands of business records.

The HCRA has now laid over 100 new charges against Albion and five business associates, with charges including illegal building and selling, failure to enroll homes, failure to comply with conditions, and being a party to an offense.

HCRA officials have indicated that this is the largest investigation in the organization’s history of operations.