'We've been scammed,' Customers allege floating home company owner left them in limbo after payment

Ont. man accused of ripping off customers The owner of a floating home company is accused of scamming customers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Several customers of a floating home company say their dream of living on the water has turned into a financial and emotional nightmare.

Customers say the owner of ‘Live on the Bay,’ Joe Nimens, promised custom-made floating homes, but failed to deliver, with allegations of missing money, abandoned projects, and broken promises.

Wayne and Kathy Paquette said they handed over $265,000 for what was supposed to be their retirement paradise — a floating home by the bay.

But nearly six months later, they’re still waiting.

“Our life has been turned upside down. I don’t think anybody could understand this unless you went through it,” Kathy Paquette said.

The Paquettes, who were promised their home would be ready by spring, said delays kept piling up.

“In the middle of May he said we were going to be on it. Then it postponed to the end of May,” Kathy said.

Instead, the couple is now living in a garage.

“Our life savings is gone,” Wayne Paquette added.

The couple isn’t alone.

Jim Lewis, another customer of ‘Live on the Bay,’ said he paid over $350,000 for a custom two-storey floating home that was supposed to be finished by last July, but like the Paquettes, he’s without a finished product.

“He has unfortunately abandoned the project, and we are now left to our own resources to try to get the boat in the water,” Lewis said, adding that he’s faced further obstacles from the marina where the project was underway.

According to the Paquettes and Lewis, the blame is being passed around.

Both the marina and company owner are pointing fingers at each other for the delays.

The marina’s manager said that Nimens was a tenant until July when he stopped paying, leaving several unfinished floating homes occupying space on the property.

Nimens has also claimed he paid over $75,000 in “unsubstantiated” charges from the marina.

Nimens told CTV News he had completed the work he was paid for and claimed Lewis caused the delays by deviating from the original plans. He also suggested that the Paquettes owe him another $25,000.

“We’ve been scammed,” Wayne Paquette said. “He just promises you the world and gives you nothing. Takes the money upfront and then gives you literally nothing to show for it but heartache.”

“We were led to believe we were investing in a small company with a retirement plan. It’s turned into a retirement nightmare," Lewis said.

Lewis said that the flotation device Nimens delivered was unsafe.

“The project, when he abandoned it, was only the flotation device and the frame. We have had to complete the rest on our own,” Lewis claimed.

Another customer has since come forward, claiming Nimens took his money but never delivered the promised floating home.

In response, Nimens told CTV News that customer had failed to pay his bills.

Lewis said a Superior Court Barrie judge recently ruled in his favour in a lawsuit Nimens launched for non-payment. Nimens failed to show up for court, telling CTV News he didn’t know about the virtual court date.

Despite the ongoing turmoil, Kathy Paquette remains hopeful. “We just want to put this behind us and finally get our home,” she said.