The Slow Burn of Justice: A Roofless Home and a Fraud Investigation

The mechanics of a contractor scam are often swift, but the machinery of justice and insurance recovery is agonizingly slow. For Lawrence Huang, a 76-year-old Scarborough resident, this gap in timing has resulted in the total loss of his home's habitability.

As CBC Toronto first reported, the ordeal began last May when representatives from a company called Super Dry Roofing and Masonry approached Huang. The contractors claimed his roof was seriously damaged and infested with rodents. Huang, whom his niece Katie Semple describes as being on the spectrum, signed a contract for a $50,000 job and provided a $25,000 advance.

As the project progressed, the costs escalated. CBC Toronto reports that Huang paid an additional $1,800 before attempting to issue a cheque for $64,000. This final transaction triggered red flags at his bank, leading employees to refuse the cheque and alert the city, police, and Semple. Almost immediately after these alerts, the workers abandoned the site. They left Huang's two-storey Guildwood Parkway home without a roof and littered with scrap lumber.

While Toronto police have acknowledged they are investigating a possible fraud—noting that roofing scams are common—the investigation has provided no immediate relief for the victim. The home was deemed uninhabitable by Toronto Fire Service and city engineers, forcing Huang into a cycle of motel living.

Adding to the crisis is the refusal of TD Insurance to cover the structural rebuild. In a Sept. 9 letter shared with CBC Toronto, a TD Insurance adjuster stated the company does not insure the cost of correcting "faulty design, material or workmanship." The letter further clarified that damage from rain, vandalism, and animals was not covered under Huang's policy.

Though TD Insurance later informed Huang in a Sept. 28 letter that it would cover the ruined contents of the home, the company remains adamant about refusing the rebuild. TD Insurance told CBC Toronto via email that they recognize the distress of the situation and are working with the client, though they declined to speak on the record due to privacy concerns.

This leaves Huang in a precarious position. As Luis Seco, a University of Toronto professor who studies the insurance industry, explained to CBC Toronto, insurers frequently balk at structural damage because it is the most expensive to repair. Seco noted that the onus is on the homeowner to sue the company or seek help from the General Insurance Ombudservice if they believe a policy is being violated.

For now, the "investigation" remains a theoretical comfort. Super Dry Roofing and Masonry has vanished; CBC Toronto found their listed phone number is not assigned and their email is undeliverable. While the police process the fraud claim, Lawrence Huang continues to live out of a suitcase.