A Windsor court has sentenced a man who did unsafe electrical work and advertised his services on Kijiji even though he didn't have a license to two years probation.
Roberto Spada will also have to perform 75 hours of community service, pay a $500 fine and another $27,085 in restitution to his victims.
The Electrical Safety Authority says it got a tip in 2013 that Spada, who isn't licensed to work as an electrician in Ontario, was working on a number of different sites.
Spada pled guilty to all the charges.
"Just because someone runs an ad online saying they can do electrical work does not mean they legally can," says the ESA's Registrar and Director of Contractor Licensing, Normand Breton. "Not only did Mr.Spada not have the required contractor's license, but he also left unsafe situations behind."
In Ontario, only licensed electrical contractors are legally allowed to conduct electrical work for hire.
"You must always verify that they [the contractor] are actually licensed," says Breton. "That's easy to do by checking ESA's online directory."
Homeowners and businesses should ask for a copy of the ESA certificate of inspection from the contractor. The document is important for resale and insurance purposes.
