Calgary contractor ordered to pay back homeowners

CALGARY- The Calgary-area contractor who bilked dozens of Albertans out of thousands of dollars will have to pay his victims back.

Last fall, Service Alberta began investigating five complaints against Kieron Warren, director of Kreate Kitchens.

Two different homeowners told Global News that they had given Warren deposits for kitchen renovations, one totaling $28,000. The work was never completed, and their money was not returned.

It turns out Warren also operated a company called Hillcrest Renovations, and was charged about three years ago for operating without a pre-paid contractors license. He was convicted, and fined $7,000.

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Next month, a judge will decide how much Warren should pay back to three Calgary homeowners, who he took nearly $50,000 from. The work was not completed, and he did not give the rest of the money back.

Warren is also being investigated for taking deposits without a license, and five homeowners say they gave him nearly half a million dollars for work that was not completed.

“We’re not the families that are involved in his current case,” explained Diana Braine, who showed up at Tuesday’s proceedings. “We’re the families that are involved in the complaints that are now being investigated and we’re showing up because we want him to know that we’re not all going to just walk away and forget about it.”

Anyone looking to hire a contractor should investigate their rating with the Better Business Bureau, and thoroughly check references.