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2-of-a-Kind Renovation is the source of numerous complaints over allegedly suspect business practices, totalling tens of thousands of dollars. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)
rogue contractor

Unlicensed Nanaimo building contractor under fire

Oct 18, 2019 | 9:34 AM

NANAIMO — Complaints are piling up against an unlicensed Nanaimo contractor, including from a woman outraged by an alleged botched and incomplete exterior home renovation.

Jason William Coburn, owner and operator of 2-of-a-Kind Renovation, was brought to NanaimoNewsNOW’s attention after the harrowing plight of Maria Medeiros and her husband came into focus.

“This is a crime, he should be in jail.”

Medeiros claimed their newly-constructed second floor deck is unstable with a leaky roof. She feared the deck attached to the back of their Rosstown Rd. home will have to be torn down.

Coburn did not obtain a required permit from the City of Nanaimo to build the wooden deck when he was hired through an online ad in late May.

Medeiros said Coburn was paid $54,000 for the deck, new siding and windows. He allegedly completed roughly half of the agreed work but never returned.

“There’s always an excuse and he’s such a smooth talker,” Medeiros said. “I trusted him and I have a hard time trusting anybody now.”

Maria Medeiros and her husband pointing out the numerous alleged flaws in their deck, which they claim was shoddily built by Jason Coburn. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Medeiros called dealing with Coburn “the worst experience of my life,” adding she’s overwhelmed with financial and emotional stress.

“He took $24,000 from me. This is a crime, he should be in jail,” Medeiros said, welling up with tears.

The closest she came to signing a contract with Coburn was an invoice describing what work would be done.

Medeiros is now in the process of filing small claims court action against Coburn in an effort to recoup the $24,000 she claimed to have lost.

A subcontractor involved also accused Coburn of shady business practices.

Larry Abernethy said he was tasked by Coburn to provide new gutters on the Medeiros’s home. Abernethy claimed he performed $1,100 worth of work, which was allegedly upcharged by Coburn to a $2,900 bill he gave to the Medeiros family.

Abernethy, owner of the gutter company Nanaimo Seamless, said Coburn claimed to be Jason Williams.

A staggering amount of complaints

The City of Nanaimo confirmed Coburn did not have a business license as of Friday, Oct. 18. People who operate unlicensed businesses in Nanaimo are subject to a daily fine of $100.

Coburn’s alleged behaviour is the source of a staggering amount of complaints between Nanaimo and Victoria.

A Better Business Bureau Vancouver Island (BBBVI) investigation launched in August 2018 revealed allegations from 37 consumers who reported combined losses of $86,000 while doing business with Coburn.

The first complaint was lodged in Victoria in 2014.

The report said some consumers alleged they paid for work in advance, which was not completed and attempts to contact Coburn were not successful.

The BBBVI report said the victims all hired Coburn under several different company names via the websites usednanaimo.com and usedvictoria.com

An active ad for 2-of-a-Kind Renovation was on the Nanaimo Craiglist website as of Friday, Oct. 18.

This ad was on Craiglist, advertising Coburn’s business featuring an extensive list of work he could do. (Craiglist)

Victoria’s Gerhard Brouwer is credited for shedding light on Coburn’s business practices.

He placed ads online in a bid to find other victims, which triggered the BBBVI investigation into Coburn.

“I kept hearing more and more horror stories,” Brouwer said.

He’s owed $35,000 in small claims damages in relation to an unpaid loan in 2017. Brouwer said Coburn claimed he needed cash to start a used car business in the Cowichan Valley.

“I supported that entrepreneurial drive he had. I respected him for sticking his neck out there and creating something for himself,” Brouwer said. “His deception has really impacted trust levels I have with other people.”

Brouwer has a Dec. 18 payment hearing in Duncan, where he hopes to get clarity on being reimbursed by Coburn, who has been ordered to attend the hearing.

Brouwer said Coburn has only managed to repay $2,800 so far.

“Handshake agreements just don’t work”

Darren Cavan, vice president of Classic Home Improvements in Nanaimo, said it’s crucial people in the market for any kind of home improvement work do research to find reputable builders.

He said references online and through word of mouth are good places to start.

“If you can’t find anybody who says anything positive then you should be cautious. It’s also really important to make sure you have a detailed contract proposal. Handshake agreements just don’t work,” Cavan said.

Cavan said it’s the homeowner’s right to ask for proof of liability insurance and WorkSafe coverage.

It’s unclear if Coburn has liability insurance.

NanaimoNewsNOW lodged a freedom of information request with Worksafe BC to discern if and what kind of protection a consumer would have if Coburn is injured on the job.

Shady past

Court records show Coburn also owes his former Nanaimo-based lawyer $5,000 in an unpaid small claims decision.

In 2017, the Vehicle Sales Authority of B.C. ruled Coburn and his then Mill Bay business weren’t licensed to sell vehicles.

Nanaimo RCMP Cst. Gary O’Brien said their detachment has no active criminal investigations involving Coburn.

He said fraud allegations against Coburn were reported for information purposes, while the victims decided to persue him in the civil courts. .

Coburn has criminal convictions of theft and fraud under $5,000 in Victoria nearly 20-years ago. He was handed a 12 month suspended sentence and 12 months probation for those historic offences.

Coburn didn’t respond to repeated attempts by NanaimoNewsNOW for comment for this story.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com
On Twitter: @reporterholmes