Ontario regulator charges GTA developer in connection with illegal sale of 453 homes
3 executives of StateView Homes also charged for failing to take care to prevent violations
An Ontario regulator that licenses home builders says it has charged seven companies operating under the name of one developer in connection with the illegal sale of 453 homes.
The Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) said the charges against StateView Homes, a Vaughan-based home developer, follow an investigation that uncovered hundreds of alleged violations of provincial legislation, namely the New Home Construction Licensing Act, 2017, and the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act.
Three senior executives of the company, Dino Taurasi, Carlo Taurasi, and Daniel Ciccone, have also been charged for allegedly failing to take reasonable care to prevent the violations, the HCRA said in a news release on Tuesday.
According to the HCRA, builders must be licensed by the HCRA to sell new homes in Ontario legally. Builders must also obtain authorization from Tarion, Ontario's home warranty agency, and enrol each home in a warranty program.
The HCRA alleges that the violations by StateView Homes include selling dozens of homes while unlicensed and failing to obtain the required Tarion approvals, or enrolments in Ontario's new home warranty program, for hundreds of homes, even after becoming licensed.
"Compliance with all regulatory requirements is not optional," Wendy Moir, the HCRA's CEO and registrar, said in the release. "Builders who do not meet these obligations are operating illegally, and the HCRA will take strong enforcement action."
The HCRA said it suspended StateView's licences in July 2023 to protect consumers from further risk. After it investigated, the HCRA said the "scale of violations and the financial harm involved" prompted it to lay charges against the company and its executives.
"Ontario home buyers deserve confidence that their builder is acting in good faith and complying with the law," Moir said.