A London-based slow clearing company is back in the news; Property Connect, a company we've reported on before that left hundreds of Ottawa residents in the lurch. Now a subcontractor says it's is also out thousands of dollars and is very angry about what appears to be one of the owner's beach vacation in January.While residents who hired Property Connect were left digging out from yet another snowstorm in January, the owner of Property Connect, Dave Havers appears to be having a blast, from a photo on a friend’s Facebook site.
“Here he is on vacation,” says Carmen Martinez, “having the time of his life. The photo is from January 25th, when the whole situation was going on here.”
Ottawa residents, Carmen Martinez and Mike Almedia own a snowplow company in Ottawa called MCD Contracting. They were subcontracted by Property Connect to clear 300 driveways this winter. It went well at first, says Martinez, until their payments stopped coming in mid-January and, they say, so, too did Dave Havers.
“We are trying to find him in order to sue him for the money he owes us,” says Martinez.
Property Connect has left a wake of angry residents throughout Ontario who say the company cashed their money but didn't fulfill their contracts.
MCD Contracting says Property Connect owes them nearly $9000. They're trying to sue Dave Havers and trying to start a class action lawsuit but first they need to find him.
"He's shut down all his phones,” says Mike Almeida, “all his offices, all contacts we had with management or office people, all the phones disconnected and he's in hiding.”
After CTV Ottawa’s initial story in November, Dave Havers did agree to meet us, then changed his mind and hid behind a customer's house. His business partner approached us instead.
“Do you understand what you're doing here?” said an angry Ron Michaels, the regional manager for Property Connect, “there's a man at the back that's actually scared for his life right now and cannot go on camera.”
The Better Business Bureau, out of London where Property Connect is based has had 78 complaints lodged against the company; the most it's ever had according to the head of the BBB, Deborah Brady. Most of the complaints are "unresolved" she says because they can't find the owner.
Martinez and Almedia are still trying. Trying to reach other customers, too, who may be interested in joining their class action lawsuit.
