Apology – do builders understand the concept? Do they Gilgan?

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Depending on your point of view, I guess the truth can vary as the perspective varies.  One man’s truth may be another’s lie.  But, in the legal world of libel and defamation, truth will be measured  but, based on economics, can be shown to be wrong.  That is one reason rich people get away with things more than the poor.  Look at Conrad Black – convicted but still trying to use words to get his guilt expunged.  Even wants to try his great oratory powers to retain his Order of Canada – a first if he gets a personal appearance.  He has the money whilst others don’t.

To ensure you have the best chance of protecting your investment, you need to follow a certain pattern of behaviour.  Even if not in your natural character.  Trusting soul – don’t be with some builders as you will be like a fish out of water.  Why do you think gypsy rip off artists do so well – they base their strategy on one’s trust or greed level.  Do you honestly think people drive around trying to give away jewelry?  Or, do you think builders give away upgrades for free?  Some who got the Mattamy “good treatment” found a survey on their doorstep.  Just like Cinderella, once it was done, the fairy tale life with Mattamy disappeared as well.  Complaints became lost in the Mattamy black hole of forgetfulness.  Not just Mattamy, but a lot of builders.

Found an interesting website called: “Simply Condos“.  He is a real estate broker who specializes in condos and investment in same.  Just for the record, I am not endorsing him but he brings up some very good points in terms of condo buying.  Points which are relevant if you are in the market.  Give it a look – some points relevant to other styles of homes (townhouse, single, etc)  He brings up one point though that is relevant when dealing with any builder – good or bad.  When buying a home, you must document everything and ensure all time limits are met in terms of submissions.  Don’t let a builder stall you with “I promise to get it done”, especially if that makes you go beyond the time limit for warranty work.  Tarion, which doesn’t have a good reputation, has deadlines – don’t follow the deadline, Tarion cuts you lose.  Remember, it is run by developers/builders and supporting industries.  Document in writing, photos and anything else relevant.  If needed, your lawyer will love you for it.  Might even cut down legal costs in the future – shorter case time.

Don’t believe me – just read my past posts.  Without documentation, I would not have been able to print stuff in my blog.

If you go to Simply Condos, Charles Hanes shows one reason you can have difficulty.  “More Developer and Tarion Complaints From Buyers

“Here’s an email that I received over night.  I blogged about some issues that I had with Edilcan in the past and wasn’t surprised to hear from their litigator threatening a frivolous law suit alleging liable.  Now, the best defense against a liable suit is the truth but these blood sucker law firms know that it’s very costly to defend yourself against their legal manipulations and more than the hard costs to defend, the time and energy is excessive!”

What the developers might not want is the DOCUMENTED truth coming out in a public court of law.  So, you want to ensure all documents are there and you stick with the truth.

Note to Mattamy lawyers:  If you feel there are any untruths in my blog, please contact me and we can discuss their possible removal and an apology.  I know Mattamy and Gilgan may not understand the word” A P O L O G Y” but I am sure you guys do.  Hmmm, maybe not based on what I have read about lawyers but I’ll take a chance.  Seems that in some circles an apology is admitting guilt and god help a person advised by a lawyer to do that.  Just isn’t natural in legal circles.  I know – I’ve seen them lie like a cheap rug.

So, in addition to a house inspector, remember to DOCUMENT everything.  In the long run, you won’t regret it.  Easier to spend a moment now than months of regret later.  And, if you watch Mike Holmes, you know there is a very strong possibility that things can deteriorate very quickly in a house that looked nice but underneath – ???.

P.S.  Probably based on their lawyer’s advice, even the Town of Oakville hasn’t apologized for their part in putting my children at risk.  Illegal wiring – Town of Oakville I guess sees nothing wrong with it.  Wonder what else they let happen in Oakville?

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Mattamy – Maybe Mr. Gilgan can develop remedial course on banisters?

Seems Mattamy is using the same line they used on me: “mattamy said that there is nothing wrong with it and that the city has already signed off on it.” Reminds me of when the Mattamy guy doing the PDI said the same thing about the illegal wiring on the furnace.  In my case, the ex-mayor even backed them up as the report was lost and nothing was done.  So much for going to city, sorry, town hall.

What the above quote is referring to is the fact some people just don’t know how to build a staircase off a house.  Even I knew what to do when I repaired the Mattamy installed piece of junk.  For more on what is legal and not legal, go to this link.  Halton Home Inspection Service has put in photos showing the right way and wrong way, which I enclose at the end for your viewing enjoyment.  I would suggest Mr. Gilgan direct those under his command to view them, as there might be questions later from concerned homebuyers who value their health and their children’s health.  Something Mattamy showed a lack of when they illegally wired my house and put MY children at risk.

I also suggest the Town of Oakville have their employees view these pictures.  Seems they have some trouble understanding safety issues, at least in my case.

Now, some of Mr. Gilgans friends wonder why I mention him.  I used to work in an atmosphere where you, as the top guy in charge, assumed responsibility for all that happened.  Much like the captain of a ship.  You can delegate the job but you can’t delegate your responsibility.

Unless of course, you are of the new breed – make money, shaft others and get your photo-ops at all costs.  You might even arrogantly state that the U.S. law is wrong and we, the forgiving Canadians, should take you back in the fold and not take away any trinkets.  Ahhh, Conrad Black and Peter Gilgan – are they birds of a feather?  Who knows but it seems that power has a way of smoothing the ruffled feathers of those in power while the homebuyer is plucked.

I can start next week Peter on how to build a staircase if you want.  I have the books.

Banister – WRONG

 

Banister – ALSO RIGHT

Titanic was built to code. Just like a Mattamy!!!

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Shit happens.

We go through life and we find out very quickly (hopefully after an enjoyable childhood) that life is not perfect. There are people out there that make a living on someone else’s suffering and dime. Conrad Black comes to mind. There are companies who make a living ripping you off. Fancy advertising, flashy products and, issues that will turn your life into a pile of shit.

Blackberry – a respected name in communications. Through Bell Telephone and other phone companies, they sell you a variety of products and make all sorts of promises, up to and including a better sex life. I don’t think the Blackberry 9800 gives anyone an increased libido but, it did do well as a smartphone until a certain upgrade came along. This upgrade stripped it of the ability to PIN (for those non-BB crackberrys here is a link that explains the PIN – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackBerry#BlackBerry_PIN ) and the solution: either downgrade and thus make it crippleware or, upgrade to a new phone ($$$$).  Nice solution Bell and Blackberry. Here is a link that shows the issue (http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/BlackBerry-Style/6-0-bundle-3049-bug-Lost-PIN-option-on-compose-menu/td-p/1477913)

Take the Ford F150 – please.  Nice truck and a good seller.  Unfortunately, some have a tendency to either blow their spark plugs, leak through the back window or, leak through the front window and fry your electronics ($$).  Ford’s solution:  Don’t do anything, fix at the consumers cost and, feel proud they didn’t have to ask for a bailout – due to the fact they limited their recalls (??).

Both examples of good corporate citizens?  Hitler would be proud of both their policies (actually Hitler was a friend of Henry Ford – http://reformed-theology.org/html/books/wall_street/chapter_06.htm.

It appears that companies look at their bottom line and if it hits their profit and exorbitant executive bonuses, those of you who have issues, will receive little or no support.  Those who have no issues or receive the donations will shun you as troublemakers and say you are wrong.  Especially those who will make a profit living the lie.

In the building industry they are proud of the fact that they build by the oft quoted BUILDING CODE.  The people of Belfast point out that the Titanic was perfectly alright when it left Ireland.  It too was built to CODE.  A code that stated it had the right number of lifeboats.  I think historical fact kind of blows that out of the water.

On the Mike Holmes show, he continually points out the difference between CODE and QUALITY.  A difference some builders seem to miss.  In my case, Peter Gilgan and Mattamy seemed to think that a house sold to me without electricity and an illegally wired furnace was up to code.  The Town of Oakville building inspector even agreed with him and put a sticker on the furnace.  But, his boss states they would not issue an Occupancy Permit to a home that was in the condition mine was.  Who is right, Peter Gilgan the billionaire and donator to various causes or some old bureaucratic boss in the building department?  Ex-mayor of Oakville, Anne Mulvale sided with the Billionaire who donated money to Wellspring at her request.  What can I say?  Guess my United Way donation didn’t cut it.

I promote house inspectors and I promote them being allowed to inspect a new build for you, the potential owner and large investor.  They are not perfect but, when you are only allowed to inspect a premise once the walls are up, it is hard to make an objective inspection unless symptoms show up early.  Mike Holmes, in some cases, has evidence that there are problems behind the walls and thus can enjoy a good teardown.  On a new house – fresh paint, etc covers up the ills of that house.  And, as in my case, a municipal building inspector, who had the opportunity to look at the place prior to the cosmetics being put on, still allowed the issues.  (i.e. no insulation behind bay window).

One small thing – not all homes are inspected by the municipality.  Tract homes have a sampling.  Only YOUR house inspector can guarantee a full inspection prior to the wallboard, etc being put on and covering up the poor quality.  Quality that will eventually show up down the road – usually after the warranty is finished.  For those buying from speculators – keep this in mind.  Did the speculator actually do what is required to protect your interest in the future – i.e. follow timelines, and reporting guidelines.  If not, get ready to suck it up and pay the freight down the road.  And, if you are aware of the issue and try to dump the shack – you will be held responsible.

Sometimes I feel I bought the Titanic but, even though I did not have enough lifeboats (competent building inspector, ethical mayor, etc), I was able to, over time, patch the ship and am now sailing on smooth waters.  No thanks to Peter and Mattamy, who appear to have caused issues in various places which I have documented in other blogs.

Too bad the passengers who died on the Titanic didn’t have a say regarding the CODE.  Maybe more would have lived with the proper number of lifeboats determined by ethics, quality and demand, not the wishes of the builder.

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Peter Gilgan – Thank you for helping my blog.

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It appears that the recent flurry of donation activity by Peter Gilgan and Mattamy Homes has brought attention to my blog.  Some even offering advertising income.  For the record, I don’t see my blog as a source of income but a method to inform people on some of the hazards of homebuying.  Mattamy is just a good example based on their past performance – all proven facts.

I’ve noticed some of the search terms people use to find my blog.  Some rather odd.  I notice a trend towards “Peter Gilgan Divorce“.  Seems a lot of people are interested in that but rest assured Peter, I’m not a scandal rag so, any dirty little divorce secrets will not be posted  on my page. I just hope you didn’t have a say in the construction of the rather beautiful home your ex-wife built-in east Oakville and that it will last longer than your mega estate (Edgemere) did.

Another search to my page got my attention.  It took me to MSN Real Estate and an article written by Marilyn Lewis titled: “Will your new home still be standing in 50 years?”  A good question since we seem to live in a land where product life longevity seems to be disappearing as we move along in our disposable lifestyles.  Just how long did you keep your cellphone or computer?  How long do some of you live in your rather expensive houses?  No where near the time your parents spent in their HOME.

Lewis’ article brings up some good points.  Paraphrasing, it seems that our forebears built homes with massive structures, built to last.

“An old home’s strength comes from its big timbers made of dense, old-growth wood. Built when fuel was cheap, old homes leak heat from windows, doors and cracks.”

“Most homes built today get their strength from engineering principles, not massive timbers. Built correctly, new homes are weather-tight systems of interrelated parts, each highly engineered to do a specialized job.”

And, therein lies the rub.

“Whether new homes perform as intended depends greatly on whether these highly specialized systems are assembled correctly. Each component has technical requirements that, if ignored, can void its warranty and sabotage the home’s quality.”

In my case, the component parts didn’t all come together in a way one would expect, considering the money spent on said house.  And, based on comments and complaints, it seems that builders, and this includes Gilgan’s Mattamy Homes, aren’t always on top of things.  Our houses are more complicated and therefore need better care in putting them together.  Using sub-standard trades or, demanding trades make shortcuts to increase profit (and opportunities for donation money) only makes your investment less sturdy and decreases just how long it will be livable.

Not concerned because your flipping the house or moving out once the kids get older?  Well, these shortcuts can cost you money right away, not 50 years down the road.  A weak structure can start costing you money from the get-go.  I know, my Mattamy cost me from day one.  Just little things like having to fill in the holes that would allow critters to invade.  My neighbours weren’t quick enough and they ended up with housemates.

In today’s Toronto Star – front page above the fold, there is an article titled: “Where did $56M go?”.  Basically, SNC-Lavalin’s CEO, Pierre Duhaime, has resigned over a scandal in that $56M went somewhere but he can’t say where, even though he authorized the payment.  Hell, I thought I had problems when I misplaced a $10 bill.  Now, one just has to read between the lines to understand the ethics going on here.

Kind of reminds me the ethics used when Mattamy illegally wired my furnace to allow the sale to go through and the Town of Oakville building inspector allowed it.  One wonders about all these donations to various causes (all good causes by the way) and the politicians who are getting their photo-ops with the “king of donations”.  Just what kind of inspection does one get when donating that kind of money?  In my case, it is proven what can happen during an inspection.

Exactly why one should be allowed to hire a house inspector to monitor your investment instead of depending on a municipalities building inspector.  Is there a conflict of interest when the municipality accepts large donations from a developer and the municipalities’ employees are doing inspections on said developer’s activities?

I ask the Town of Oakville – why did I not see the report made regarding the illegal wiring on my furnace?  I forgot, Wellspring got a donation after the mayor asked Mattamy to help out.  Oh well, politics.

And, one wonders just how embedded organized crime is with the developers.  We’re talking large money here and historically, organized crime is attracted to money ventures.  Remember Project 80? I’m sure Peter Pomeroy, ex-chair of Halton, remembers it and he is presently employed by Mattamy Homes.  He’s the one who stated that the bused in workers didn’t have a clue why they were sitting in Halton council chambers as a protest. Guys taken off the work sites to show solidarity against Development Charges.

Are they in bed with you Mattamy?  Just asking.  Maybe your lawyers could account for some activity recently, unless they have the memory of Duhaime.

And, just for the record, Peter Gilgan’s lawyers have been notified they are also guilty of defamation with a third-party – according to the facts taken from their website.

Again, thank you Peter for your generosity.  Hopefully it will help those in need, unfortunately may get you a better break in development charges/inspections and, it certainly drives readers to my blog.  I guess we all win Peter.

P.S.  Is it true Peter Gilgan is working on the Order of Canada?  Maybe Conrad Black knows – seems he is keeping his.

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* The above is intended to show the reader examples of how to obtain a house inspector, no matter which builder you buy from. Remember, awards and advertising are designed to make you buy, not ensure you quality. We’ve shown that awards are not the standard on which to base your decision on. My use of my experiences are not made to embarass Mattamy Homes or Peter Gilgan but, are used because they are based on fact and show the larger picture that a house inspector is a requirement when buying a house, new or old from any builder. My experience only shows that in fact it can happen and is a fact of life. Your experiences with Mattamy may have differed.

Donations don’t really cover up the truth – just misdirect people’s decisions.

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Since Peter Gilgan has donated the $40million to the Toronto Hospital for Sick Chilren, I have been receiving a variety of correspondence (phone, meetings, email, etc) from various friends, relatives and acquaintances.  And, most point to the fact that it is hard to get any justice done when someone donates that kind of money.  Politicians really respond to that method of stimulus as does the uninformed populace.  If you do a bit of history research, you’ll see that this is a time-honoured method used by some less than savory people to gain local support and thus put off the authorities.  Worked for them and I guess donations work here as well.  I’ve personally seen it done.

Of course, politicians use this type of method – get the voters to think about other stuff so that the real problem gets buried.

That is the problem when builders/developers tie themselves too closely to the political/legislative machine with money.  They do not do this to ensure that we, the taxpayer, gain benefit.

The point of this blog is to point out the flaws in a system that should protect the consumer from illegal or sub-standard practices utilized in the construction industry.  That potential homeowners should have the right to hire professionals to ensure they get what they pay for.  Mike Holmes is able to show this visually and has been quite successful in pointing out the flaws in our construction industry.  Unfortunately, local politicians, who have the power to adjust the law to protect us, are more concerned about getting money from developers.  I wonder how much makes it to their own private pockets?

Just read an article in the Toronto Star about Harold Shipp, written by Pat Brennan.  Good article about a successful developer/builder.  I had the pleasure of meeting this man, along with his son, back in the early 70’s.  I was putting together an article on distinctive homes in Mississauga and he caught me taking a picture of his home.  We had a very interesting and fruitful conversation and I left with a great amount of respect for the man.  I didn’t see a man who built a reputation building homes with construction shortcuts and illegal wiring.

Also, I find people who have lawyers threaten lawsuits to be less than honourable.  You don’t fight the truth with legal threats.  You fix the problem and get the truthsayer to report same.  You once told me I wasn’t being fair, as you drove by in your Jag.  You think informing the public regarding faults in the building industry is UNFAIR?  Or, is it just that I use my experience with Mattamy to show these faults.  Let me know about other builders and show the proof Peter, and I’ll inform the public.  You see, as your lawyers will tell you – I’m forced to tell the truth when I write my blog.  I guess you’re not forced to build a high quality house for the homeowner – just minimum code.  I guess that is why you’re the billionaire and others are only millionaires.  More money spent on quality.  And, they seem to donate money to good causes.  But then, maybe they’re not trying to get into that exclusive Conrad Black club – Order of Canada.

Peter Gilgan might be able to control the politicians with his donations and, ensure that the homeowner can’t get the needed protection (allowing house inspectors to monitor the house) but, at least people will be aware of his policies and make a more educated decision on whose houses to buy.

I know from received comments and, contact from Mattamy employees what my decision would be.

P.S.  Just for the record, I am pleased that Gilgan has donated the money to worthwhile causes.  Very commendable.

Harold Shipp also has donated millions to worthwhile causes.  All he got was a plaque but, I know he’s the type of man who doesn’t need to name every public building in sight to ensure people remember him.  Quality has a way of becoming noticeable and remembered.

P.P.S For the lawyers – if you find something untrue in this blog, please inform me immediately so I can make any necessary changes.  But, bring proof.

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* The above is intended to show the reader examples of how to obtain a house inspector, no matter which builder you buy from. Remember, awards and advertising are designed to make you buy, not ensure you quality. We’ve shown that awards are not the standard on which to base your decision on. My use of my experiences are not made to embarass Mattamy Homes or Peter Gilgan but, are used because they are based on fact and show the larger picture that a house inspector is a requirement when buying a house, new or old from any builder. My experience only shows that in fact it can happen and is a fact of life. Your experiences with Mattamy may have differed.

Prices go up in GTA – down elsewhere and does quality suffer? Does it Mattamy?

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For those living in the GTA, you are probably immune to the price shock of what it costs to buy a house in the area or have just given up trying to figure out why we pay so much here.  For those building homes, it can be a great selling point – brand new house with no problems for the same or less money than some place needing a reno.

Wonder just how bad our prices are?  I recently read an article in the Toronto Star about FML Listings.  They are a couple who have suffered the trials and tribulations of buying in the GTA.  Urban vs Surburban.  They find it so ridiculous that they started this website and compare our prices with those about North America.  Want to know just how bad the prices are here, visit their website.

Here are two examples:

1:  http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=11608659&PidKey=-1125967177  (2 bedroom 2 bathroom in Willowdale east with a stove for $1.5million) compared to http://www.trulia.com/property/202240-23200-W-Paloma-Blanca-Dr-Malibu-CA-90265 ( 4 bedroom 3 bathroom with a pool and a mountain and ocean view for…….. over $3000 less)

2: http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=11560329&PidKey=1983095532  3 bedroom bungalow in North York for just $200K less than Whitney Houston’s palatial palace in New Jersey.

These are just two examples of how bad our GTA market is.  If you’re selling, a speculator or, a builder, life is good.  If you are a buyer, suck it up princess and fork out the money and if it is a new house, roll the dice on whether or not the builder put in what should have been put in.

For the resales, just watch Mike Holmes’ show to see what can happen if you don’t hire a responsible and professional house inspector.

With prices this high, I can see problems with speculators in that they have a lot of money tied up and hopefully for a short period of time.  Time not spent fixing up a property to what it should be.  Time is cash and cash spent on things not seen is money saved.

Some builders of new houses look for shortcut savings.  In my case, they got a sale on a house without electricity hooked up, an illegally wired furnace and a bay window without insulation.  I had to deal with all those and I can tell you, this house is up to snuff now, no thanks to Mr. Gilgan and Mattamy.  So, if you are buying a house from a speculator (some were the builder’s own sales people) make sure you hire a house inspector to look it over.  Where the builder did shortcuts, I doubt the speculator did a fix.  Most speculators probably feel a good coat of paint hides all ills.

I noticed an article in the Toronto Star about Mr. Gilgan and all his accomplishments – mostly donations to charity.  Nothing about his donations to Hudak or McGuinty.  Of the 27 who got the Order of Ontario, one four line paragraph listed their generic accomplishments.  Mr. “Donation Boy” Gilgan got 25 lines (over half the article) to list his accomplishments.  I guess the other 26 were just there for filler purposes.  I forgot, he got an additional 7 lines at the beginning to open up the article.  David Onley, Lt.Gov of Ontario got a whole 3 and a bit for himself.  Even the title and picture were all pure Gilgan.   Hey, Toronto Star, I think other people do good stuff – you didn’t even name the other 26 in this article.  Talk about chump change.

Maybe Gilgan is running for the Order of Canada.  You know, the one convicted felon Conrad Black is still holding onto while other felons lost theirs. Kind of shows the quality of some people getting these awards.

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* The above is intended to show the reader examples of how to obtain a house inspector, no matter which builder you buy from. Remember, awards and advertising are designed to make you buy, not ensure you quality. We’ve shown that awards are not the standard on which to base your decision on. My use of my experiences are not made to embarass Mattamy Homes or Peter Gilgan but, are used because they are based on fact and show the larger picture that a house inspector is a requirement when buying a house, new or old from any builder. My experience only shows that in fact it can happen and is a fact of life. Your experiences with Mattamy may have differed.

Hard to get a properly built home when the owner is focusing his time and efforts on getting press time.

BILD Awards – losing their credibility

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Awards.

They are given to individuals and organizations that have accomplished a level of respect for their activities.  No one is perfect and maybe we don’t always agree with those getting an award. 

Like convicted criminal Conrad Black who still has the Order of Canada. 

In the housing industry, the J.D. Power and Associates Awards have been very well-respected and many homeowners have pointed to various winners as part of their selection process.  But, then some even told how they received gifts? and upgrades? prior to submitting their survey results, thus making the awards presented somewhat suspect.  One award winner over the years has been Mattamy Homes.  Consistently winning Customer Satisfaction awards from J.D. Power even though the proof was out there that not all customers were happy.  A significant number actually.  Like a whole subdivision of blown away homebuyers in Kanta Fairwinds.

Lately J.D. Power has taken their awards elsewhere and are trying to rebuild the image of said award.  I was not surprised though, but disappointed, to note that BILD (Building Industry and Land Association) still seems to push the Mattamy name, even after the convictions in Ottawa, the flooding development and basements in Bracebridge and other issues.  For 2011, they have accepted nominations for “Home Builder of the Year” with Mattamy included.

The list includes: Great Gulf Homes, Mattamy Homes, Monarch Corporation, Rosehaven Homes and Tridel.  All good names but, not with the reputation that Mattamy has in terms of convictions and quality.  One wonders how these awards are evaluated and given.  Given, based on customers experiences or, the spreading of awards to the good old boys.

I guess to sweeten the pot for the award, the Oakville Beaver showcased Mattamy as the cover story of their weekend New Homes section.  Siobhan Evans did a feel good article on Mattamy.  All praise and no depth.  Basically just a Mattamy ad. 

One comment stood out.

“……. Mattamy’s complete attention to detail and ability to provide a satisfying experience to each and every homebuyer”.

Well, there is a statement way out in left field.  I think Evans should have done a little more research before taking that one to the printer.

Or, she could have just listened to a number homebuyers, unlucky to have the Mattamy experience.

Such as this one:

DO NOT BUY FROM MATTAMY! I understand that this homebuilder once had excellent customer satisfaction ratings – but that was years ago. This homebuilder will “court” you throughout the build process but once you’ve closed, the honeymoon is over! They will refuse to take responsibility for any issues within the home and will purposely stall in hopes that you will just go away. I’ve never before experienced working with a provider of any service where they put the BLAME on the customer! If you have any question, just ask a homeowner in the Summers Walk subdivision… you will be enlightened.

  

And, this comment isn’t a one of.  Anyone who looks at the awards should also look at the internet and the complaints.  The internet allows people to show the reality of homebuying, not the make-believe world of advertising and self-aggrandizement of the award system. 

 

Sorry BILD, but you just lost me as someone who would take your awards as a sign of quality. 

 

Talk to J.D. Power and Associates and see how they got burned by Mattamy.

 

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Wilfrid Laurier awards – would you really want one now?

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Ethics……. a small word but, in terms of character, a factor of a person’s persona that is to be respected when it is something a person follows every day in their life.  Not something that is clothed in fancy cloth or overshadowed by awards and donations but something a person follows in their every thought and action – a way of life.

In the December 1st Record, out of Waterloo Region, there is an article about Peter Gilgan, owner of Mattamy Homes, receiving the award for, “Outstanding Business Leader of 2009 by Wilfrid Laurier University’s school of business and economics.”

In today’s world of, executives of bankrupt companies receiving bonuses, the sub-prime mortgage scam, the Madoff Ponzi scheme, Conrad Black, the Enron scam and a plethora of other business dealings which are destroying our country, why am I not surprised.

Don’t get me wrong.  In this article they list a number of good things he has accomplished in his life but what they don’t list is the illegal dumping his company has done in Ottawa, the flooding basements in Bracebridge, the selling of homes when no build permits were obtained in Ottawa, the roofs that are not lasting and, the illegal wiring of furnaces that allow a sale to be put through while putting children’s lives at risk in Oakville.

I didn’t realize that these types of things are also awardable by the distinguished Wilfrid Laurier University.  Must be part of Scams 101, something I didn’t take in my Criminology major.  No wonder I’m not making the big bucks of business.

I also notice that Jim Balsillie of Research In Motion (RIM) is listed as a former winner and we all know he was involved in some stock manipulations and fined.   Is this a prerequisite to getting the distinguished Wildrid Laurier Distinguished Business Leader Award?  If so, I’ve got an old bridge in Brooklyn for sale.

Balsillie is quoted as saying, “Mistakes were made and we absolutely have done a number of things to change our organization to reflect better governance practices. We really want to focus 100 per cent on moving the business forward.” 

At least he had the balls to own up to his failings and for that we should respect the man.

Mattamy?  They just keep giving out donations to everyone, including the local politicians (&  educators ? ) and move on with no thought to the destruction of people’s lives due to the failings of their construction and building practices, some at minimum building code.  Look how long they have kept those poor people in Fairwinds, Kanata,Ottawa  on the hook with no homes on the horizon.

And why did he get the award?

“We were very impressed by Peter’s entrepreneurial spirit and by the new standard of quality and competitiveness he has achieved in his field,” Ginny Dybenko, WLU’s dean of business and economics, said in a news release today.”  

Standards of quality!!!!!

I guess they should have researched a little deeper than the awards and self promoting of donations before they decided.  I would have thought ethics would be at the top of the list. 

I notice they are presenting the award at a private meeting on January 6th at WLU. 

Should I get my suit pressed in case I can make a presentation.  I enjoyed the last time I was at one of his presentations, although they took my pamphlet away from him. 

Maybe Michaele and Tareq Salahi can get me in.  Can’t be any harder than the White House.

P.S.  Some people have told me that this man is so far removed from the actual construction of the buildings, he can’t be held responsible for what has happened with the poor service, poor construction and illegal activity. I’m sorry, in my circle of friends, we all took responsibility for what happened, even when someone working for us did the deed.  Too many new bosses try to get the big bucks but not take any responsibility for what happens.  You know – GM, banks, stock brokerage firms – all bonus, no responsibility and no ethics.

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Price cuts – How will they affect your home?

As we know, the economy and house values have taken the big dive, thanks in part to a bunch of greedy people who seem to have escaped with their shirts, while the rest of us are feeling a bit naked in terms of finances. Poor Conrad Black must be feeling a bit put out considering he got caught and is doing the time, while his rich buddies are out there enjoying the champagne life. But, that is another story. In order to attract customers, most builders are cutting their prices and Mattamy is no exception. Visit their website and you’ll see savings up to $40,000 advertised.

This begs the question – just what is being sacrificed in order to make these price cuts? For those who bought just a few months ago, you must be wondering how they can cut such a substantial amount off their homes, especially if you paid big money for upgrades in order to make your house look presentable. Well, maybe they are going to cut back on donations to their local political interests or, maybe the charities will take a cut or, they will just stop giving new homeowners a bouquet of flowers.

Or, maybe the construction of your house will be adjusted to reduce the costs. In my last blog I told of someone who is unable to install a garage door due to the height of his garage. Did they save money on his house by not putting in the extra bricks, etc to raise the height of the garage, thus saving money for Mattamy but costing the homeowner a couple of thousand dollars in garage door replacement? Who knows and I doubt Mattamy Homes will tell us why a garage door opener isn’t possible. 

I should note that his house is the only one on the block with the problem.  And no, he didn’t give them a hard time during construction.  Actually, it was the opposite, he didn’t spend enough time there as he trusted the Mattamy name and the Town of Oakville.

This is only more proof that you really need to hire a house inspector to protect your interests/investment. When the price slashing starts, it won’t be the president who takes the pay cut (unless Obama orders it) but it might be the consumer who gets the quality adjusted to conform to the new price. Unless you are skilled in construction, you’ll never know if your house was adjusted to take in the price cuts. So, for your piece of mind and possibly cost savings down the road, an investment in a house inspector is a good financial decision in today’s day and age, no matter who is building your home.

Just think, instead of saving $400 to $500 on not hiring the house inspector, the aforementioned homeowner gets to spend over $2000 in adjusting his home to accommodate something everyone takes for granted – an electric door opener.

Mattamy Homes – You are who your friends are..

Do you remember the sage advice your parents would give you on who you should hang around with?  Usually not the same people you really wanted to hang with but, sometimes this advice saved you a lot of bother.  I mean, look at Conrad Black.  You’d love to hang out with him but look how he ended up and his friends with him.  And he started early: “In his memoirs, Lord Black tells us that in 1959, as a 14-year old he made $1,400 by helping his ninth-grade classmates cheat by selling them stolen exam papers. Despite his father, a wealthy Montreal brewer, telling the headmaster that the young Conrad was only displaying an entrepreneurial spirit, the Upper Canada College expelled him for his efforts.”  (Heritage Institute).

 

Showed some entrepreneurial spirit did he?  Well, according to Ernst and Young, the CEO of Mattamy Homes showed some entrepreneurial spirit and was given an award to record this achievement.  This is the same company that used illegal (code) wiring to ensure the sale of a home, backed up with a seal of approval from the Town of Oakville.  Mattamy Homes and the Town of Oakville have been very friendly in the past, with Mattamy Homes donating large sums of money to the Town, some of its events and other related activities within the Town.  I see that Mattamy Homes has donated money in Ottawa, an area where there is an investigation going on concerning the City of Ottawa and developers using the same consultants and, Mattamy Homes has been charged with illegal land fill activities (interesting to see how that goes in court considering they are applying for retroactive permits from those they donate money to).

 

And don’t forget the free bus rides in Milton.  Those politicians who wish to cultivate Mattamy Homes and the donations should maybe remember their parent’s advice and have second thoughts before accepting.  Unless it doesn’t really matter how the ordinary citizen is treated in comparison to those who donate.

 

You are who your friends are……….