truthandfacts
Joined: 21 Dec 2005
Posts: 3
|
 Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 12:55 am Post subject: Curtis Malinowski - Truth and Facts - Canada |
    |
|
Curtis Malinowski - Landscape Experts - Truth and Facts – CTV and Global Calgary
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The media (CTV, Global, Lesperance, and Holub's) are at it again.
One unhappy customer, customer calls media, media runs a story (what a story), the other clients panic, the employees and suppliers panic, business may collapse, and they call it fraud. The media gets a story, the police get the hassle of attempting to accommodate a witch hunt created by the media.
The business collapses because the majority of the clients owe money on contract yet, some don't because they just signed with the business and work hasn't started so the business is in a negative position with some. But, what happens then is no one pays and wants all the work done first and hates the media created fraud monster, the business collapses because the folks that owe the company don't pay anything until the work is finished and most never pay even when it is finished.
The media referenced past Malinowski schemes (referenced and addressed above), using another company's name (knowing full well that the name is registered in other jurisdictions and was in process of being changed in Calgary to accommodate a local operator with the same name - Landscape Experts), and a law that states that a contractor requires a special type of license in Calgary to take deposits. The company is now registering for this license - being a national expanding company it simply was not aware of this obscure section of local law.
And this is fraud? Let's get this straight... the company is operating, doing the work, the media slams it and it collapses under the financial pressures of suppliers now demanding money up front, clients demanding all work gets done before any payment (some then never paying), sub contractors demanding money up front for work (some then never completing the work), and staff quitting for fear of job loss, and somehow this is fraud? Then, the authorities have to investigate because the witch hunt is on, all based on a series of stories spun to create a fraudster for public consumption.
And what about the families of staff and clients that suffer?
Why isn't the truth told? Global and CTV constantly skew and misrepresent the truth, Lesperance is a wanna be media tycoon drop out, and the Holub's have industry interests etc. They make Malinowski out to be this big bad guy but the truth says different.
The truth is and the facts are, Malinowski has been slammed time and time again with hundreds of charges and been accused of millions and millions in fraud. Why then is there only a 1000.00 conviction? Could this maybe be perception and not reality?
MALINOWSKI DOESN'T EVEN OWN LANDSCAPE EXPERTS - HE WAS A PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE NATIONALLY GROWING COMPANY!!!!
Who is really committing the fraud? Who is really being victimized?
Email - blocked - for supporting documentation and updates as this story progresses.
More to follow...
Landscape Experts Seeks Correction and Relief for Incorrect News ReportingCalgary, Alberta Oct 18 Curtis Malinowski / 2081315 ONTARIO Inc. / Landscape Experts (Ontario), a market leader in landscape design and construction today announced that it seeks a correction and relief from Global, CTV, and interviewees for incorrect news casting in the Calgary and Saskatoon marketplace(s) on or about October 13 and 14 of 2005.Curtis Malinowski / 2081315 ONTARIO Inc. / Landscape Experts disputes the claims made in news programs / news warnings aired by the networks CTV and Global referencing Landscape Experts and Curtis Malinowski as running bogus companies, bilking customers – investors, and employees, being criminals, using legitimate company names to further scams, selling illusions, using terms and statements such as being “up to old tricks”, faulty work, bizarre work, other problems, using the name of others businesses, and tarnishing other companies good names. Curtis Malinowski / 2081315 ONTARIO Inc. / Landscape Experts seek correction and relief and declare that:- Such reporting creates an environment of panic and subsequently seriously hinders the ability of the company to operate in a manner in the best interest of the stakeholders and customers- Landscape Experts is an Ontario Corporation incorporated as such and operates landscape design in and construction in a reputable and ethical manner- Curtis Malinowski is a project manager for the company and does not own shares or hold a position similar to that of an owner or director- Landscape Experts is registered as a Landscape Construction company- Landscape Experts was unaware that a local Calgary firm had the name also registered and quickly went about accommodating the local owner/operator in Calgary evidenced in correspondence attached- Landscape Experts complies with all civic, provincial, and federal laws as required. Landscape Experts was not aware until recent of a particular statute requiring landscape contractors to possess a specific license to accept deposits. Landscape Experts is rectifying this with swift processing of said requirements.- Landscape Experts will continue to work on and complete the sites contracted in Calgary and will negotiate settlements to the best of its ability for those clients that have been tarnished by the news casts / warnings of CTV and Global.- Landscape Experts does not run a bogus company, does not bilk customers, investors, or employees, or use legitimate company names to further criminal activity, does not sell illusions, and does not perform or conduct faulty work or bizarre work.- Landscape Experts seeks correction from the CTV and Global networks and asserts that the programs aired have severely affected its ability to prosper, profit, and has potentially delivered a fatal blow to its financial operating ability.About Landscape ExpertsLandscape Experts provides high quality landscape design and contracting to various regions of Canada. Landscape Experts is a young, vibrant, upstart that sees great success on the horizon.Note This press release contains forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is based upon current information and expectations regarding Landscape Experts. These estimates and statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, are not guarantees of future performance, and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results could materially differ from what is expressed, implied, or forecastedin such forward-looking statements.Landscape Experts assumes no obligation to update the informationcontained in this press release. For further information contact Greg Kuse, Cuellenere, Kendell, Katzman – General Counsel, Project Management 403-889-5019 or email - blocked -. SOURCE Landscape Experts
Global Calgary
Published: Thursday, October 13, 2005
Global News has uncovered an illegal contractor operating in Calgary.
He's not licensed, he doesn't have qualifications and has even been convicted of misleading consumers.
Adrien and Thienly Azim are having a landscaping nightmare.
A month ago, they hired a company to do $15,000 worth of work and paid a deposit of $11,000 for materials and labour.
Today, their yard is a mess and the work has stopped.
"The work started on September the 15th. It was only supposed to take three days. The guys on the initial day didn't come until 12 o'clock and put in a few hours and they were gone," said Thienly.
Her husband says the work was intermittent.
"Bits and pieces of work would happen here and there," said Adrien. "A lot of times someone would show up and do something for 20 minutes (or) half an hour and then disappear."
They signed the deal with Curtis Malinowski and have tried repeatedly to get him to finish the job or refund their money.
What they didn't know is that he isn't a certified contractor or a landscaper and some workers he uses aren't qualified.
He doesn't have a city license and isn't bonded by the province to take deposits.
In fact, three years ago, Curtis Malinowski was convicted of misleading seniors in a phoney hearing aid scam involving the Hearing Associates.
In Saskatoon, he still faces 15 counts of fraud in a home building scheme.
Hundreds of people are trying to recover money they paid him in a failed pre-fab home dealership called Master Builders.
If you Google the name Curtis Malinowski you'll find hundreds of hits from other people who claim they lost money to him in other failed business ventures.
Adrian and Thienly Azim aren't the only victims.
Steve Ouwerkerk owns Landscape Experts and started receiving calls from customers he had never heard of.
He discovered Curtis Malinowski was using his company name and logo.
"It's taken me 12 years go build up a good reputation and it's amazing how quickly that can disappear when someone like this comes on the scene," says Ouwerkerk.
After looking at this job, Ouwerkerk said it's obvious no one on the crew knew anything about concrete or landscaping.
He says the whole job has to be torn out and started over.
Global News was able to trace Malinowski to another landscaping job in Northwest Calgary but by the time we arrived, the crew said he had just left.
When we called his cell phone, he hung up as soon as we identified ourselves.
The Alberta Government has now opened an investigation and they're interviewing two homeowners who paid Malinowski a deposit for landscaping work.
Malinowski is not a licensed contractor and not allowed to take deposit, so anyone who paid him money is asked to call Alberta Government Services at 1-877-427-4088.
Many homeowners who paid money to Malinowski say they are victims of fraud and want the Police to investigate.
The Calgary Police Commercial Crime Unit says to prove fraud you have to prove intent.
That means proving Malinowski planned to take money and never intended to do any work.
However in every case so far, some work was actually started and material was delivered.
That's why the case is being investigated by the Province under the Fair Trading Act.
Unfortunately many of the victims never checked his qualifications before hiring him.
Here is a list of tips to hire a contractor.
Check to see they have a City business license.
Ask for their pre-paid contractors license if they're taking a deposit.
Ask for at least three references and check them out.
Call the Better Business Bureau for complaint history.
See if they have Workers Compensation Coverage to cover injuries on the job.
If you want some more help hiring a contractor try these links.
www.gov.ab.ca/gs then click on Consumer Information and look for a Tipsheet on Contractors and Renovations.
www.hiringacontractor.com
Landscape Experts
Unit 234, 5149 Country Hills Blvd
Calgary, Alberta
T3A 5K8
October 18, 2005
REGISTERED LETTER
Dear client,
Attached you will find;
· a consolidated document referencing a recent W Five program
· copy of the company incorporation and master business license
· copy of a letter sent to Landscape Experts (local business operator) from us
· copy of a letter sent to the complainant recently featured on the CTV news in Calgary and Saskatoon and Global in Calgary
· copy of the company press release dated today
The purpose of this letter is to describe in our words what the recent CTV news in Calgary and Saskatoon and Global in Calgary has done to our ability to operate etc.
The CTV and Global news clip outlined a past that Mr. Malinowski has in a negative light. The attached document referencing the W Five program best describes how skewed this program was. It was nothing short of liable.
The clip also clearly stated that we were using someone else’s name. This is in fact false. Landscape Experts is a nationally expanding company recently registered in Ontario as such. The growth has admittedly been quicker than some of our administrative people have kept up with. We’re a small start up company. When we opened in Calgary, very shortly thereafter we realized that our name conflicted with the local owner operator that had been in business there in Calgary for some time. We immediately notified him that we would change our name to accommodate him. We are in the process now of registering an alternate name. The news clip did not reference this fact, neither did Steve from the local Landscape Experts. In no way were we attempting to “use” someone else’s name. The name belongs to us in other districts and we were going to change it in Calgary to accommodate Steve.
The clip also spoke of a client by the sir name of Azim. Attached is a copy of a letter we hand delivered to Mr. Azim to rectify his concerns. The project was 80-90% complete when Mr. Azim notified us that if we did not refund his money in full that he would go to the media. It is true that we did encounter problems on his property, however, any construction project will encounter problems and we were fully prepared to fix the problems or negotiate a settlement appropriate to work done etc.
The clip also spoke of a particular license that contractors require to accept deposits in the Calgary market place. We did not know of this license until Mr. Azim notified us of such. Our offices are preparing the required applications as this is being written to be in absolute compliance of the requirement.
The clip also referenced Mr Malinowski as the owner. Mr. Malinowski is not the owner and holds a position of Project Manager. See attached incorporation documentation.
It is our position that the media (CTV and Global) in an effort to ruin Mr Malinowski and our enterprise overlooked and disregarded fundamental facts and in the process has scared the clients, suppliers, workers, and sub contractors to a point of perhaps no return. Our business could be financially ruined depending on the result of the client talks. The majority of the client list owes the company money on contract and we’re likely never going to collect unless a resolution is found with each and in some cases clients have given the company a deposit and work hasn’t started. In short, if those that owe on contract don’t pay it would undermine our ability to operate and refund those that have given deposits etc.
We are going to walk this out to our best ability however, and we are going to complete work that was contracted as desired by our client base to our every ability.
It is our position that we would like to honor our agreement and complete the work to your complete satisfaction on your property in full. Should you wish not to continue with the contract we would encourage you to work with us in discussions to settle amounts appropriate to work done etc.
Please respond with your position no later than Thursday October 20, 2005 by telephone at 403-889-5019, by mail to the mailing address above, or by email at - blocked -.
We thank you for your consideration and understanding in such a time.
Landscape Experts |
|
blogger
del.icio.us
digg
slashdot
