'Worst mistake we've ever made:' Russell, Ont. woman out $168,000 after paying contractor for work never completed

A Russell, Ont. woman alleges she and other homeowners are out hundreds of thousands of dollars after she says a local contractor took their money for work that was never finished or in some cases never even started.

"He's made our lives so inconvenient," said Allison Brookes. "We put everything into a savings account to reno this place and he's just gone."  

Brookes bought the property knowing major renovation work—hundreds of thousands of dollars worth—was needed, and hired a contractor she found online.  

"I called his references, I looked him up on Better Business Bureau, I didn't find anything that raised any suspicions," she said. 

The contractor started the job and found subcontractors for the roof and windows, she said, with crews showing up consistently between October to December 2020. After Christmas, the work stopped.