Ontario woman says botched driveway sealing job makes house look like 'bomb exploded'
An Ontario woman whose home was left a mess after a botched driveway sealing job said "it looked a bomb exploded" on her property.
Oakville woman Anne Farrell said she hired a company to seal a driveway at her vacation property in Niagara Falls and was shocked to find tar was sprayed on her garage doors and the front of her home.
"When we pulled up to the house it looked like a bomb exploded and we were stunned," Farrell told CTV News Toronto.
Farrell said a company that seals driveways left a business card in her door and when she called them they said they could spray the driveway at her Niagara Falls address.
Farrell said it was agreed they would fill the cracks and seal the driveway for $255 and she would pay the company by e-transfer when the job was done and photos were sent to show it had been completed.
Once the agreed upon time came and went, Farrell said no photos had been sent to her and the company didn't seek payment, which made her worried.
That's when she decided to check on their property.
"There was tar all over the garage door on the front stoop of the house, on the stones on the house, all along the grass on the sides of the driveway, there was hardly anything on the driveway at all," said Farrell. "Immediately we phoned them and said what did you do to our home?"
O'Farrell said the company refused to respond to her calls and blocked her number.
When CTV News Toronto contacted the company, a spokesperson said while it did provide a quote for the sealing job, it did not actually do the work.
The company said it was not responsible, hung up and did not reply to e-mails from CTV News Toronto.
O'Farrell said she is looking for answers and said if the company she was dealing with didn't make the mess, she wants to know who did.
"My message to them is please contact us to let us know what happened and make it right and fix what you have done. This is very wrong and borders on vandalism," O’Farrell said.
It's not clear if the tar can be removed and O’Farrell is concerned that the garage doors may need to be replaced.
O'Farrell is also considering going to small claims court and is currently speaking with her home insurance company about a possible claim for vandalism.
When choosing a contractor to do a job for your home, it's important to check references and get referrals from family and friends and try to be present when the work is being done.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
NEW High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
NEW Where to watch the state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney
A state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney will be held in Montreal on March 23. CTV News will have live special coverage of his funeral service.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.