An Ontario couple who paid approximately C$155,000 for home renovations now sleep in a relative’s laundry room.
Tonya Azevedo says the house where her family spent two decades raising their children is no longer safe to live in.
Azevedo remortgaged the nearly paid-off Amherstburg property to borrow C$200,000 for a major addition and garage. She hired contractor Jessie James Flaricee, whom her husband knew through youth football, believing the project would give the family more room.
The Windsor Police Service issued a warrant on November 3, 2026, alleging that Flaricee, 41, collected about C$155,000 through MBS Home Solutions for unfinished renovations. He surrendered at police headquarters shortly after 9 a.m. on November 4 and faces three criminal charges, according to AM800.
A C$200,000 Mortgage Was Supposed to Transform the Family Home
The plans called for a rear addition, a new garage, an expanded kitchen and main bedroom, an en suite bathroom and another upstairs bedroom. Azevedo said Flaricee had become a family friend through her husband’s connections in the local youth football community, according to an interview with CBC News.
Demolition and construction began in March 2026, when Azevedo said she gave Flaricee an initial C$45,000. The family moved out for the work, returned in June and watched progress stop by August. Azevedo said the contractor asked for additional money, but she refused until the work matched what she had already paid.
She also requested invoices and receipts accounting for the renovation spending but said they were never provided. With the original project unfinished, she said she used the money left from her loan to reverse and repair some of the construction rather than complete the planned expansion.
Inspectors Found Foundation Problems as the Family Lost Heat and a Bathroom
Documents obtained by CBC showed that Amherstburg officials directed a halt to construction because the work departed from approved drawings and had multiple deficiencies. The building department identified foundation mortar joints that did not comply with Ontario Building Code requirements and an addition whose foundation was not connected to the existing structure.
Azevedo reported finding other problems, including concrete blocks filled with dirt, live electrical wiring behind drywall and a ruptured sewer pipe. She said demolition left the home without heat or a working bathroom, with electricity unavailable through much of the property.
The family of four is staying with a relative. Azevedo told CBC that her teenage son particularly misses his bedroom.
Contractor Disputes the Claims as Police Announce Three Charges
Before the warrant was announced, Flaricee told CBC he had offered to fix the issues and tried to communicate with the family. He said the homeowners ended the working relationship before he could make repairs, and he denied intending to take anyone’s money. He also acknowledged hiring subcontractors without identifying who performed the disputed work.
Azevedo said Flaricee had represented himself as a licensed contractor. In his response to CBC, he said a licence or registration had expired and needed renewal, while maintaining that he was insured.
Police identified the business as MBS Home Solutions and said investigators learned it had been dissolved for non-compliance in November 2024, before the renovation project began.
The allegations include fraud over C$5,000, obtaining funds by false pretences over C$5,000 and uttering a forged document. The police investigation is identified as case 26-110993.
How Homeowners Can Check a Contractor Before Paying Large Deposits
The Ontario government recommends getting at least three written estimates, including a payment schedule in the contract and keeping down payments to a minimum, with 10% offered as a guideline rather than a legal deposit cap. Its guidance also advises checking references and confirming professional licences directly with the appropriate issuing authority.
Because police said the business associated with this renovation had been dissolved before the job started, checking a contractor’s current business status through the Ontario Business Registry is particularly relevant. Business registration alone, however, does not establish that someone holds the credentials required for regulated electrical, plumbing or design work.
Major additions also require attention to building permits and inspections. The Town of Amherstburg provides an online permitting system through Cloudpermit. Its building department can answer permit and inspection questions at 519-736-5408, including questions about approved plans before further construction payments are made.