Unlicensed Hamilton roofer gets jail time

An unlicensed Hamilton contractor who repeatedly broke court orders prohibiting him from working as a roofer has been jailed for 10 days and put on probation for two years.

Jason Dennis, 43, was convicted of breaching a previous court order and for operating without a licence.

He is prohibited from working in the roofing industry for two years, the city said in a news release Thursday as a warning to homeowners.

This is the eighth time Dennis refused to comply with a previous probation order, officials said.

“The city’s dealings with Mr. Jason Dennis span almost 10 years and point to the worst case I’ve seen of an unlicensed contractor,” said John Lane, the city’s manager of building inspections.

Dennis billed at least 50 homeowners for work that he never performed, Lane said.

His latest sentence — on Aug. 15 — results from a Hamilton resident hiring him in 2013 to replace his roof. The work was deficient and had to be redone by a licensed contractor, making the homeowner pay twice, the city said.

Dennis used different business names including Top Quality Roofing & Renos; Grandview Roofing; Hamilton Regional Roofing; and Roofs R’ Us. He also used different aliases, including Jay Dawson, Jay Masters, Jay Gagnon and Jay Chambers.

The city says he has a provincial offences record dating back to 1993.

Spectator files show Dennis faced numerous charges in the past of violating the Ontario Consumer Protection Act and the city’s licensing bylaw.

In 2010, he faced 38 charges under the Consumer Protection Act and in four years leading up to 2013, was slapped with $50,000 in fines and home restitution orders.

In 2009, he was jailed for 30 days for misrepresentation and fined $45,000 in fines and restitution.