Highbridge Construction owes $106,000 in rent on storefront

There is a new sign of financial issues with an Ottawa construction company that suddenly closed, leaving customers with unfinished projects unable to recoup their losses.

A notice of distress posted on the door of Highbridge Construction's storefront on St. Joseph Boulevard says the company owes the landlord more than $106,000 in rent.

• Download our app to get local alerts to your device
• Get the latest local updates right to your inbox

The notice is dated Feb. 7 and gives the tenant five days to reply, or else goods within the unit will be seized and sold to cover the costs

The lease has not been terminated and while the locks have been changed, the tenant is still able to use the premises with the landlord's permission, the notice says, though it warns attempts to remove goods from the site is unlawful.

Highbridge Construction shuttered last week, telling employees in an email obtained by CTV News that it was "forced to close its door and cease business operations." Another email to employees had asked them to hold off on cashing paycheques until Monday, offering Air Miles to those who waited.

Customers who spoke to CTV News describe being out tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. In at least one customer's case, the money was uninsured and she has no way to recover it.

Attempts to reach the owners of the company have been unsuccessful.

MORE FAMILIES AFFECTED BY CLOSURE COME FORWARD

More families are sharing stories with CTV News about work that has gone unfinished.

Amanda Lauzon, a mother of four, hired Highbridge Construction to complete repairs on her home after a fire in 2019. The job has never been finished she said.

"We are in year four now and the project still isn’t complete, we still have odds and ends," she told CTV News. "We have had no contact since November."

Lauzon said in addition to incomplete work, several things needed to be redone. 

"You couldn’t walk around the dishwasher because it was up against the kitchen counter," she explained. "A toilet seat that doesnt go up all the way. The seat doesn't open all the way because of the handle." 

Her shower was redone three times and tiles are already starting to wear and three counter tops had to be replaced because workers drilled the wrong holes.

"They just assumed i had ordered a standard 3 hole fixture," Lauzon said. "And when this came in, the guy was like, 'You are going to have two holes in your counter.' I said that is unacceptable. 'Well, do you like the taps we put in? You could keep them.' If i wanted them, I would have ordered them.'"

Lauzon estimates her family is out at least $200,000. She intends to hire another contractor to get the work done.

"We will move on and forget this chapter."

Werner Meier's roof was damaged by the derecho in May. He hired Highbridge Construction and gave them a deposit.

"White pines came through the garage roof like torpedos and took out nine of 13 trusses," he said. "The entire garage roof needs to be replaced."

However, he says all the company did was take measurements and he hasn't heard back from them since January.

"Their contact requirements were very stringent. They argued they needed 50 per cent of the cost of the repairs up front, which is what we gave them."

Meier said that deposit was $55,000. 

--With files from CTV's Graham Richardson and Leah Larocque.

A notice of distress taped to the door of Highbridge Construction's storefront on St. Joseph Boulevard in Ottawa. (Graham Richardson/CTV News Ottawa)