The fire destroyed everything in David and Rachel Harris’s home. 

The couple’s Quispamsis house caught fire in March 2021, and it was a total loss. It had to be levelled and rebuilt.

Luckily, insurance had the finances covered. All they had to do was hire the contractor and get the build going. 

More than a year later, however, the Harrises find themselves in a court battle with their contractor, out hundreds in legal fees, and renting while their new home is still under construction.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said David Harris.

Hundreds of New Brunswickers have had a difficult time finding the right contractor, the industry says, and have nowhere to go but court when something goes wrong. 

And without any regulations or mandatory professional standards, the province’s home builders’ association says this will keep happening.

Right after they settled down from the shock of losing their home, the Harrises started looking for a contractor to demolish the remains of their house.

It was just after the worst of the pandemic — when labour and supply shortages were hitting their peak. They heard “no,” from more than eight contractors and builders.

Finally, they thought of Adrian Forgie, a man they’d hired to build their deck some years ago. They remembered being pleased with his work.

Forgie has not responded to CBC’s requests for comment. The following details were obtained from court documents, his own admissions in court, and public registry information.

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