When Dave Dunbar realized the contractor he took to court in April 2018 is still operating, Dunbar knew he had to warn others to be vigilant when hiring for home renovations.
The Kelowna resident recently found out that Okanagan contractor Lawrence Jewsbury is before the courts once again.
Dunbar took Jewsbury to court after work he said he paid for wasn’t completed. At the time it was only the second suit filed against the Okanagan contractor, the first being filed about a week prior on April 4, 2018. Jewsbury attempted a counterclaim against the Dunbars, and the judge asked for a more detailed report from both parties. The judge ultimately dismissed both the claim and counterclaim, but a local lawyer believes the Dunbars would have won with the right representation.
Jewsbury is a well-known contractor in the Okanagan, having owned and operated two now-closed contracting companies West Kelowna Fine Cabinetry and Building Blocks Design Management.
A search on the provincial court services online using the contractors full name shows 30 court filings in five years across B.C., the most recent of which was an action filed against Jewsbury and his son Branden on June 22, 2023.
Capital News spoke with several people who were involved in legal action against Jewsbury. Many of the claims against Jewsbury stated similar issues as Dunbar had experienced, alleging Jewsbury collected about 80 per cent of the agreed amount on the signed contract and then never completed the job.
One of the civil suits was for Joanne Wishart, who won her case against Jewsbury in Vernon small claims court. According to court documents, Building Blocks Design was ordered to pay Wishart $5,601 in June 2022. Wishart says she’s only received three-quarters of the money owed.
Wishart had Jewsbury provide a quote for a kitchen renovation and agreed to sign a contract without her normal research.
The contract was standard with a 50 per cent downpayment, another 40 per cent with materials, and a 10 per cent hold back.
Jewsbury was supposed to be in contact the following week about when the work would be done, but instead she stopped hearing from him and took to emailing, texting, and calling regularly.
Wishart said she was met with excuses of material shortages that sounded legitimate.
No work was done in Wishart’s home despite more than $5,000 being paid to Jewsbury.
Wishart filed in February 2022 to get her money back. The friend who recommended Jewsbury to Wishart also filed that month, alleging similar problems against the contractor. Both women won their case, and both claim to still be waiting to receive the final instalment of repayment.
A former employee of Jewsbury said he started working for him shortly after moving to the Okanagan.
Troy Lussier found Jewsbury’s job posting on a local media outlet’s website after moving from Vancouver.
The business seemed legitimate and Lussier toured the showroom before signing a contract.
Lussier said he received one paycheque in the few months he worked for Jewsbury. He didn’t take legal action due to the time and cost.
Lussier’s first client under Jewsbury was Jody Kopf. She and her husband were looking to have their bathroom renovated.
Kopf said they had Jewsbury come look at the space and he was “very professional. It seemed very legit.” After getting quotes from a few other contractors the couple hired Jewsbury.
The renovation was to the master bathroom and included a walk-in closet, jet tub, larger shower, and cabinet replacements.
Kopf said the quote from Jewsbury was significantly lower than the other ones they received. They agreed to pay the contractor 50 per cent of the $15,500 contract up front.
The work was supposed to start in February of 2021, but was delayed. Jewsbury finally sent a different employee than Lussier to Kopf’s home to start deconstruction.
“He was only here for a couple days and I said to him, ‘we’ll see you Monday,’ and he goes, ‘well, maybe.’ ”
The worker told her he had yet to receive payment from Jewsbury.
The worker did come back the following Monday, but only to pick up his tools and reiterate he hadn’t been paid.
When a second worker said he also wasn’t getting paid, she knew something wasn’t right.
Similarly to Wishart, Kopf started texting and emailing Jewsbury. “I got a lot of emails saying, ‘We’ll get it wrapped up next week, we’ll finish the job.’ A lot of false promises.”
Kopf filed a complaint against Building Blocks with the Better Business Bureau to warn others, but did not take legal action.
The BBB lists Building Blocks as closed, but three customer complaints gave the business a one-star rating.
Trusted Pros, a site similar to BBB but for Canadian contractors, also gave the business one star after receiving six reviews between June 2021 and April 2022.
Dan Lucier, owner of WC Concrete, isn’t surprised by the low ratings for Jewsbury’s companies. Jewsbury had hired him to pour the concrete for a project while operating West Kelowna Fine Cabinetry, his business before Building Blocks.
“I took him at every word. I just thought, you know, if you’re lying that’s suicide in this town.”
Lucier said he had to stop work after Jewsbury said he wasn’t going to pay him.
Jewsbury filed in small claims court in March 2019 and wrote in the Notice of Claim that WC Concrete “botched the job.” WC Concrete opened a countrer claim that same month stating Jewsbury had an outstanding invoice of $5,534.
A judge ruled in February 2020 that Jewsbury’s claims be dismissed.
IMC Construction is the latest company to win their case against Jewsbury, but the more than $196,000 has yet to be repaid.
Company president Mike Hamman said they hired Jewsbury to complete some cabinet work at a hotel in West Kelowna.
Drawings were done and Jewsbury provided an estimate for the cost of materials. The deposit was sent, but the materials never arrived.
The case was filed in Supreme Court in March 2021.
Hamman said they were able to freeze one of Jewsbury’s accounts and the company has received a small sum of money back. “At this point, the amount received pales in comparison to the amount we’ve paid in legal fees to chase him.”
IMC Construction filed a garnishment order for the funds still owing to them, but Hamman isn’t optimistic that money will ever be seen.
Black Press has tried multiple times over the last month and a half to get in touch with Jewsbury and his son Branden. No phone calls have been returned and emails have bounced back. An address that is connected to a family member 0f Jewsbury is now listed as home for sale, which sits empty.
READ MORE: Kelowna Sikh leader says majority of Indians in Canada are not separatists
READ MORE: ‘My worst day was my best day’: Kelowna woman conquers the Camino
