Scotian Homes receivership leaves contractors unpaid
Electrician may put liens on some of the houses built by Scotian Homes to get his money
Contractors are trying to figure out how they'll be getting paid after Scotian Homes went into receivership on Monday.
The award-winning home building company has many projects that aren't done and work sites have had their locks changed so contractors can't access them.
Jeff Campbell runs his own electrical company, JDC Electric, and in the last year he's been busy doing jobs for Scotian Homes. He said the company owes him $46,000.
"Everything is at a standstill right now, everything is on hold. I'm not sure financially if we're going to get any money that we're owed or if we're going to be able to continue on with the work we've already started to work on."
One of Campbell's jobs was at a nearly finished home in Shubenacadie. Campbell and his crew went to the site on Monday to do some work, but the locks on the house had been changed.
He's done work for Scotian Homes for the last four years and says he is going to be forced to put liens on some of those homes.
"I'll try to notify the homeowners that this is what's going to have to happen. This is the only way that I can hopefully collect some of my money."
Based in Enfield, Scotian Homes has been building homes since 1972. Over the last four decades, they built many of the homes in the East Hants corridor.
The area is still growing but many of the new homes are being built by companies based out of Halifax.
The local Home Hardware store, owned by the same local family, also closed its doors on Monday. Hardware had been sold at the location for more than 60 years.
Drywaller Chris Josey, who worked on the Shubenacadie house, said he is owed $15,000 and like Campbell, he hasn't been paid.
"I figured I was getting a cheque Monday morning. Monday by about three o'clock I heard it was done and no way to get my money."
Receivers Ernst and Young are working on getting detailed inventory of Scotian Homes assets.
Contractors like Campbell and Josey are hoping for the best.
"We've provided the service, my guys have been paid, my materials have been paid, the government's been paid and I'm waiting to get paid now. I just have to wait," Campbell said.
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