Snow removal company cashes first round of cheques, then declares bankruptcy

VAUDREUIL-DORION – Martin Singler and his wife are getting ready for the winter, so they hired RiverRock to remove the snow on their driveway.

But Monday night, they discovered they had a big problem.

“I heard about it…on Facebook,” he said.

“One of our friends sent me a message saying ‘hey did you see that they’re shutting down, they’re going bankrupt?’ And we’re like ‘what?'”

Singler said he then saw a post circulating on Facebook by RiverRock.

It said: “It is with deep regret that I inform you that RiverRock snow removal company has no choice but to file for bankruptcy and cease operation…I would like to thank the clients who have supported me in the last three years.”

Singler said RiverRock cashed his $130 cheque in mid-October.

Doreen, a Vaudreuil resident, only found out RiverRock was going under when Global News approached her.

“That’s so sad, why did he do that?” she said.

“He shouldn’t be doing that to other people? Would he like for somebody to do that to him?”

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RiverRock’s owner, Tim Wood, said he can’t afford to pay anyone back, but he’s not abandoning his clients completely.

“I’ll provide them with landscaping services of some sort,” Wood told Global News.

“If they need hedge trimming or something done on their property.”

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Doreen said she doesn’t want any landscaping services, she just wants her money back.

Sylvie De Bellfeuille, an Option Consommateurs lawyer, said the chances of that happening are slim.

“The chances to recover the full amount, if any amount at all, will really depend on the assets that are available in the company,” she said.

Other RiverRock customers did reach out to Global News to say Wood was always kind and did his job very well.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting this, this wasn’t something that I wanted,” said Wood.