Ontario’s Home Construction Regulatory Authority laid 124 charges against Albion Building Consultant Inc. and five associates in September 2024. The regulator said evidence from its largest investigation indicated that the former licensee continued building and selling homes after its authorization had been revoked.
The allegations involved 40 new homes
Charges included illegal building and selling, failure to enrol homes, failure to comply with conditions and being a party to an offence. The HCRA said the case followed a search of Albion’s Toronto offices and examination of thousands of documents.
Charges are allegations and required proof in court.
Albion’s licence had been revoked
The company, also known as Albion Builders, lost its Ontario licence in February 2023. The regulator later obtained a search warrant after developing grounds to believe construction activity continued.
Licensing protects buyers by tying builders to competence, conduct and warranty obligations.
A freeze order protected purchaser funds
The HCRA said it prohibited Albion from withdrawing purchasers’ money and required funds to remain in trust. It also sought a restraining order to prevent further alleged violations.
Those measures aimed to reduce ongoing risk while the charges were unresolved.
The company had earlier convictions
In 2022, Albion was convicted of failing to enrol new homes with Tarion and ordered to pay more than C$200,000 in fines. The regulator also cited earlier non-compliance.
Company principals Zamal Hossain and Farida Haque had individual convictions connected with unlicensed activity.
New-home enrolment matters
Ontario’s warranty framework can provide deposit, completion and defect protections, subject to legal conditions. A purchaser dealing with an unlicensed builder may face greater uncertainty if work stops or problems emerge.
Buyers should verify both the builder and project before signing or transferring money.
Corporate names can create confusion
Regulatory checks should include legal names, trade names, directors, addresses and related companies. Similar branding or a newly incorporated entity does not necessarily mean the people or project history changed.
Official registries are more reliable than marketing material alone.
Consumers need independent advice
A lawyer experienced in new-home purchases can review licences, deposits, cancellation clauses and title. Buyers should obtain written receipts and avoid pressure to route funds outside the contract or trust arrangements.
Suspicious activity can be reported to the HCRA without attempting a personal investigation.
The regulator used unusually strong language
Chief executive Wendy Moir accused Albion of repeatedly disregarding the law and endangering consumers. The statement explained why the authority escalated enforcement, but it remained the regulator’s position before trial.
Courts, not press releases, determine guilt on new charges.
The case tested enforcement credibility
Rules matter only when regulators can detect continued activity, preserve funds and pursue remedies quickly. At the same time, enforcement must remain evidence-based and reviewable.
Published court schedules and outcomes would let affected purchasers follow the case without depending on promotional claims or rumours.
The 124 charges signalled the scale of the investigation, not 124 convictions. For consumers, the immediate lesson was practical: check licensing and warranty enrolment directly, keep complete records and treat any request to bypass regulated safeguards as a serious warning.
