Viceroy Homes, REFUSAL to return $5K deposit for home building Port Hope Ontario Canada

In or around October, 2003, I gave Viceroy Homes, Ltd. a check for $5,000.00 DEPOSIT MONEY in order to secure future building plans, etc. for a house (at that time) that I was planning to build in Lake Shastina, California (rural Northern California).

Well, my plans changed, and I ended up not building this house in Lake Shastina, California, later selling the 1/3 lot I had purchased, and decided (around a year later - 2004) to ask for my deposit back. I still have the REJECTION LETTER, dated December 13, 2004, telling me that I had signed an "iron-clad" contract, per Clause 5 (a) and/or 5 (d) of the Deposit Contract, and that they would not refund my money, only use it towards any further home building purchases. I told them about the horrendous circumstances surrounding my decision not to build, to no avail.

I left it alone, assuming I was just "screwed" out of this money (I am only a middle-class person, so $5K is still quite a lot of money to me, especially to just be "thrown away" like this). They didn't care.

Finally, in July, 2006, in desperate financial straits, I again contacted them (for what would eventually turn out to be some THIRTY-ODD emails, all of which were NEVER RETURNED or responded to) and $50.00 worth of phone calls to Ontario, Canada (unaware at that time of their 800 #). We went "round and round and round" with this, never returning ANY - not a ONE - of my email requests. Passed from one "exec" to another, and in the end, no REFUND.

Finally, I filed a COMPLAINT with the OREGON Better Business Bureau, and the California Department of Justice, Contractor's Division, and emailed three or four local TV NEWS STATIONS, as well as constantly calling their "rep" in Washington State, one "Andrew McQueen", who was the original "rep" we met and signed-up with back in 2003. He was actually quite nice and helpful, even saying he'd give me my money back "if it were up to him".

I received my $5K deposit back only after signing an agreement not to pursue "bad publicity" with the local News Media, the B.B.B. of Oregon, or the CA Department of Justice. Most of the time I deal with a person named PAUL DUGA, Contract Administration, the one who NEVER (not ONCE!) returned any of my thirty-odd emails. At least a few others within the organization would "at least" respond to my requests, but not Paul Duga - BEWARE OF HIM!!

All of this was VERY FRUSTRATING and time-consuming, especially since I had hit a "dark period" financially (out of work and worried, plus I had sold the land I was going to build on and had NO INTENTION WHATSOEVER of ever using their services again).

Please note: During this roughly three year period, No Services Whatsoever were EVER RENDERED for this deposit -- no prolonged discussions, no preliminary blueprints, etc. -- nothing at all ! Just my "empty" deposit.

As my friend told me, glad to hear the good news, "The squeeky wheel gets the grease", an old, and fortunately in this case, TRUE SAYING !

My advice to others: File with your local Better Business Bureau, contact your local News Media Stations and ask if they have a "Consumer Hotline" or "Action Alert" segment on their nightly broadcasts where they address consumers being taken advantage of - companies DO NOT LIKE "bad publicity" at all.

Also filed a complaint with your local State Department, whatever department is appropriate -- they are usually very helpful in getting, at least, your complaint filed and pursued somewhat (California, needless to say, is a very big state, and there is only so much they can do, but the threat of them is usually enough to get your complaint and voice HEARD - LOUD AND CLEAR !!)

Good luck ! And never make a deposit with any company, unless you are 100% certain you are going to build with them !

Peter
Chiloquin, Oregon
U.S.A.

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