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Wynne said she would have to check and asked a staff member to provide an answer to Viecelli, who says she’s still waiting for a proper response.

Ultimately, Viecelli wants what she sees as a better new-home warranty system, so that her grandchildren won’t have to experience what she did — namely being required to deal with Tarion without the chance to shop around.

Photo by Nick Brancaccio / Windsor Star

A decade ago Viecelli had a home built. She said there were a number of deficiencies but when she turned for help to her warranty provider, Tarion, she encountered resistance.

“I believed that I had a home warranty and that Tarion was the provider who was going to support me when I had problems with the builder,” Viecelli said. “I learned that was not the case. Tarion was very quick to deny claims, even small claims.”

She acknowledged that Tarion did eventually pay to correct some of her concerns, but she said it did not fully cover other issues. She has since sold that home and built another without the use of a builder, and therefore did not have to buy a warranty.

But Viecelli has continued working with the consumer-advocacy group Canadians for Properly Built Homes.

“Tarion is first and foremost a consumer protection organization that protects consumers by regulating builders of new homes and by backstopping the Ontario New Home Warranty if a builder is unable or unwilling to fulfil their statutory warranty obligations,” said Tarion spokesperson Laurie Stephens, noting that the company ensures builders have the financial, technical and customer-service capabilities to build homes. “The warranty coverage on new homes and condos is among the most comprehensive in Canada.”