'He did zero work': homeowners warn of local sod and turf business

Multiple homeowners from across Essex County are encouraging residents to file a report with their local police service if they feel they were cheated by a local business that goes by the name of Miracle Turf and Sod Landscaping.

"He did zero work…He just took my $3,000 deposit," said Emily Cheng, a homeowner from Tecumseh.

She claims Moe Bazzi, owner of Miracle Turf and Sod Landscaping, didn't keep their guarantee.

"He kept on pushing back the date. He said he got into a car accident. He had a concussion, a death in the family," said Cheng.

Other homeowners have come forward alleging Bazzi blocked all communication with them when they raised concerns of incomplete or unsatisfactory work.

"A week later he picked up his tools and I never saw him again," said Ryan Parachoniak from Chatham. "The total I paid was $8,500."

He tells CTV News the last time they spoke was in October 2022.

"I told him quite bluntly he's not welcomed on my property. The only resolution would be a partial or full refund," Parachoniak adds, saying he has since hired another company and paid $3,000 to have sod installed.

Another customer who hired Miracle Turf and Sod Landscaping to install putting greens had similar complaints of incomplete and deficient work.

"Moe can talk the talk. He is confident, very friendly and puts on a very good front for people to think he is trustworthy,” reads a statement sent to CTV from an anonymous customer who does not want to be identified. “He has zero customer service and he is incapable of completing a job.”

"Agree. Absolutely agree," added Cheng.

In total, four customers have reached out to CTV News but not all wanted to be identified.

"The economy is already bad. He's preying on innocent people who are trusting him," say Cheng who filed a report with Tecumseh OPP in September. “He told the officer he was going to do the work and immediately blocked me."

Parachoniak also sought help.

"Last summer I reached out to Chatham Police, OPP and Windsor Police,” he said. “They all told me a similar story that because of the amount of money it’s not a police matter."

"It all comes down to research,” said OPP Const. Steven Duguay. “Knowing who this company is and getting references and work they've done in the past.”

Duguay said only one report was filed to Tecumseh OPP, but says action would be taken if there are more than one complaint.

"We can communicate with other police services to see if that's a problem in their area as well,” Duguay tells CTV News. “We will work with other police agencies. Definitely."

Cheng is now encouraging any others who feel victimized to file a report with their local police station.

CTV News spoke with Bazzi who initially agreed to an on-camera interview, but then did not return repeated calls or emails.

"I want people to know to not deal with him. So that they don't get screwed and he stops doing this,” said Parachoniak.