Ontario family says contractor abandoned backyard project after paying $13,000

If you’re planning to do a major home renovation or landscaping project, be careful not to pay too much money in advance in case there is a problem.

“We just wanted a nice safe backyard with a swing set for our children and the children in my wife’s home daycare,” said Marco Santelli, of Brantford, Ont.

Santelli said after his family moved to Brantford last year they decided to do a major backyard makeover.

In October of that year, Santelli said he found a contractor to do the work and they agreed he would install a soft rubber compound that a swing set would sit on along with other playground equipment, that would be safer for the children to play on.

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Santelli found the contractor on Facebook and they agreed to a price of $26,337, but the contractor said he needed $13,000 to start the project. After the family paid that amount in installments over a two-week period, Santelli said the contractor never came back.

“I'm feeling angry and frustrated and exhausted by having to call him everyday and not getting answers back,” Santelli said.

The landscaper did visit the property several times and moved dirt around the yard, but the playground is not close to being finished, Santelli explained.

“For what he has done, I would say I highly doubt it's worth even $1,000 really," he added.

Santelli signed the contract with Adam Mitchell of AJM Landscaping in Brantford.

CTV News Toronto contacted Mitchell several times by phone, email and through his Facebook and Instagram accounts. None of our calls or messages were returned.

Santelli said he’s had the same experience and that Mitchell has not been back to continue the project for seven months.

Adam Mitchell of AJM Landscaping in Brantford, Ont. is seen in this undated image.

"I had to go to the bank and get [a] loan and I’m slowly paying it back and this is what I get," he said. “I want my money [back] because I have to hire someone else to clean up this mess."

For now, Santelli said his backyard will remain unfinished. He said his wife is devastated for the children and that their dream of a playground will have to wait.

"You pay for something and you’re supposed to get something back, but I didn't get anything back, absolutely nothing," Santelli said.

When doing any major renovation or landscaping job, try to come up with a payment schedule that is fair to you and the company doing the work. Pay in installments as work is completed to avoid a contractor quitting before the job is done.

If you pay up front and there are problems and some work is completed, the police will not usually get involved as it becomes a civil matter and a case that may have to be settled in small claims court.