Illegal Ontario homebuilder blocked from re-licensing under new name

The Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) has blocked a builder with a history of illegal activity from operating under a new name.

Muhammad Mohsin Babar, former director of Albion Building Consultant Inc. was denied a license when he attempted to re-apply under a new company.

In September 2024, the HCRA laid 124 charges against Albion after it was discovered they were building homes without permission.

The charges included illegal building and selling, failure to enroll homes and failure to comply with conditions.

The regulator said it was the largest investigation in HCRA history.

In 2022, the company was fined $200,000 for failing to enroll their new homes in the legally-required Tarion warranty program.

“The HCRA is proactively protecting home buyers by denying licenses to individuals who are not qualified, which means they can’t legally interact with, sell to, or build for consumers,” HCRA’s CEO and registrar Wendy Moir said.

“A builder’s license issued by the HCRA demonstrates to consumers that the builder meets high standards for competency and professional conduct. The HCRA will not tolerate any attempt to skirt those rules.”

Babar applied for a new license under numbered company 9618759 Canada Inc., which was refused when the vetting process revealed his history of illegal activity as an employee of Albion.

He was also involved with another license application for Dynasty Home Builders Inc., which was also denied for the same reasons.

“We will continue to identify bad actors, rooting out schemes or fronts they may try to hide behind,” Moir said in a statement.

“We don’t allow individuals to hide behind numbered companies – we focus on identifying who is truly in control of the application.”

Babar has not attempted to appeal the HCRA’s decision regarding the licensing refusals.

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