Contractor fined $225,000 for building violations in Flamborough

Two Brampton contractors were fined $225,000 last month for carrying out construction in Flamborough without a building permit or business licence.

The city said in a news release Monday that Farooq Ghulam and Ahmed Farooq, from Bramptonbased Gemstone Finishes Inc., were convicted Oct. 24 of construction without a building permit and unlawfully acting as a building contractor without a licence.

The firm was renovating a home at 8 Mercury Rd. in Flamborough. Chief city building official Ed Vander-Windt said that the work was not deemed safe and another contractor ultimately had to be called in to do the project.

The contracting business was fined $100,000 for the violations, with each individual associated with the firm also facing separate fines. Altogether, the courts imposed $225,000 in penalties — one of the highest fines levied for such infractions in Hamilton, Vander-Windt said.

The city urges residents planning for construction to protect themselves by:

• hiring a licensed contractor and asking to see the trade licence from the city;

• always getting three written estimates; and

• checking with the city to determine if a building permit is necessary.

The building division’s phone number is 905-546-2720.