Ontario’s Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) has laid charges in what it says is the largest investigation in the organization’s history.

The group announced it had issued 124 charges against East York-based company Albion Building Consultant Inc. and five of its associates for the illegal building and selling of homes.

The HCRA says it is also seeking a restraining order to prevent Albion from further violating the law and endangering consumers.

"Albion has repeatedly disregarded the law governing new home construction," said HCRA CEO and Registrar Wendy Moir. "The HCRA will continue to increase penalties on this former licensee until it stops putting the public at risk. Thousands of other builders across Ontario operate ethically and in accordance with the law. We cannot allow companies like Albion to continue to violate the law, undermine the industry's integrity, and compromise public safety."

The charges follow a year-long investigation into the company.

Albion has several prior convictions for illegal building and failing to enrol new homes with Tarion, the administrator of Ontario’s new home warranty program.

In 2022, the company was ordered to pay over $200,000 in fines for illegal building. In 2024, the HCRA revoked its licence to build and sell homes in Ontario on the grounds that it would not operate lawfully or with honesty and integrity.

Allegations have since surfaced that Albion continued to build homes despite having its licence revoked.

Last February, the HCRA executed a search warrant at Albion's offices, seizing hundreds of thousands of business records. The HCRA simultaneously issued a freeze order, prohibiting Albion from withdrawing purchasers' funds and requiring Albion to hold those funds in trust.

Based on evidence obtained during the search warrant, the HCRA has laid 124 new charges against Albion and five business associates related to the construction of 40 new homes. The charges include illegal building and selling, failure to enrol homes, failure to comply with conditions, and being a party to an offence.

"Evidence uncovered through the search warrant has revealed extensive violations, leading to these new charges," Moir said. "Albion's ongoing misconduct poses a serious risk to the public. We advise all consumers to be on the lookout and extremely cautious of Albion falsely presenting itself as a licensed builder, which it is not. They are not qualified or authorized to build or sell homes."

HCRA is the authority responsible for regulating and licensing the people and companies who build and sell new homes in Ontario.