More Ontario cottage owners say they're victims of contractor who did time behind bars for fraud

David Baker and his wife Laurie had exciting plans for their retirement. 

In 2018, they planned to move out of the Toronto townhouse they've been renting and into the small cottage they own near Bancroft, Ont.

Two and a half years later, the cottage is an empty shell, the $44,000 they paid a contractor is gone and so is their dream.

"He took that away from us," David Baker said. "It's a nightmare."

The Bakers have joined at least six other cottage owners CBC News has spoken to, who say they handed over tens of thousands of dollars to Scott "Scottie" Eisemann, 51, the owner of Cottage Life Construction. They accuse him of abandoning the projects he was paid to do.

Eisemann, 51, is no stranger to these kinds of allegations.

In 2014, the contractor was sentenced to prison for defrauding an elderly Toronto woman out of her life savings in a home renovation scam. Not long after his release in 2016, Eisemann opened Cottage Life Construction in Brechin, Ont., about 90 minutes north of Toronto. 

Just last week, CBC News reported that accusations of more wrongdoing from property owners across Ontario's cottage country have followed him. A day later, Ontario Provincial Police announced they'd charged him with fraud in relation to two uncompleted construction projects.

"Substantial amounts of money were paid to a contractor who did not start the agreed upon construction work," the OPP said in a news release. In 2019, the OPP charged Eisemann with defrauding another cottage owner, as well.

None of the charges have been tested in court.

Eisemann has not responded to calls or emails from CBC News.

Eisemann 'put all my dreams on hold,' owner charges

In April, 2018, the Bakers hired Cottage Life Construction to transform their modest cottage into their retirement nest. It needed a new foundation, electrical and plumbing upgrades and some interior work. Repairing it was as much a financial decision as a lifestyle choice.

"The rents [in Toronto] keep going up and up. And when you're on a retirement, you can't afford the rent, so we wanted to move up north so we could have money, we could afford to travel and do things," Laurie Baker told CBC News.

Cottage Life Construction, the Bakers say, seemed above board. They couldn't find any bad reviews online. They handed over an initial $14,000 deposit towards the $64,000 contract. 

Eisemann promised the work would be done in six weeks, they say.

The contractor's workers gutted the cottage and started work on the foundation, but within weeks the work slowed to a trickle.

Eisemann asked for tens of thousands of dollars more — money that was supposed to help pay his workers and buy construction materials.

"He was making promises left, right and centre," said David Baker, 60.

In all, the couple handed over $44,000, hoping more money would result in more work. 

"We were giving to make sure this guy kept working. You know you're out your money, but you need to keep hoping, and chasing him," Baker recounted.

Work stalled completely several months ago, they say. Windows are missing, there's no running water or washroom. Much of the exterior is sheeted only in plastic.

"It kind of broke my heart because I really thought Scottie was a nice guy. He says all the right words, he sounds very convincing. So it's kind of devastating because he's put all my dreams on hold," Laurie Baker told CBC News.

Family hoped to preserve cottage for future generations

Across the road from their cottage, Laurie Baker's mother Donna Brammer says she's is in a similar mess after she hired Eisemann in the fall of 2017. Brammer says she wanted to upgrade the interior of the cottage her late husband built 50 years ago.

"This guy, Scottie, seemed like a very honest guy, and that's why we hired him."

Her son Dan says he found no complaints online about Eisemann or Cottage Life Construction.

"It was important to try and rebuild it and restore it so we could pass it on to our further generations to enjoy it for the next 50 years. It was really to honour his legacy."

Work started, but there were many setbacks. A local township building inspector determined some of the work didn't meet building standards. The family says Eisemann told them he'd need more money to fix the deficiencies and continue the renovation.

The family agreed to front the contractor more money but three years later, their cottage remains unusable.  

"It's actually the hardest this year because of all the COVID-19 restrictions, because you really couldn't go anywhere," said Brammer's son. "It's actually been heartbreaking and crushing."

Both families have reported Eisemann to police. The OPP say they have received multiple complaints recently from other angry cottage owners. Cottage Life Construction declared bankruptcy earlier this year, leaving a trail of creditors and cottage owners who claim work they paid for wasn't completed.

Dan Brammer says he hopes speaking out about his experience helps save others from heartbreak and financial loss.

"Overall, it's just kind of crushing to think someone could do this," he said.

"It damages my father's legacy."