GTA family members convicted of animal abuse now accused of running dubious snow removal business

Three members of a Greater Toronto Area family who were convicted in a high-profile animal abuse case — one of whom was previously found guilty of fraud — are now accused of taking customers' money and not fulfilling snow clearing contracts.

CBC Toronto spoke with three people who said they paid between $425 and $800 for snow removal this winter. They said they've received little or no service, have demanded refunds but haven't received any money, and have had trouble getting in touch with the business.

The company operates under the names Speedsport and S&S Property Maintenance. All three customers told CBC News the business put advertising lawn signs on their properties as soon as they signed contracts.

Harry Saberi, one of the Speedsport customers, says the one time the company came to his home north of Toronto in Aurora, Ont., was last month — and the snow was only partly cleared.

"It's not about the money. Emotionally, I'm hurt," Saberi said.

Although a man who identified himself on the phone to CBC News as the operator of the company denied it, corporation records, banking documents and photos suggest the three family members sentenced in the horse cruelty case are the same people operating the business. 

In 2019, David and Victoria "Vicki" Small, along with their son Jason Small, each pleaded guilty to one count of permitting an animal to be in distress. They were sentenced to 45 days in jail and fined $1,000. The case centred on the family's company, Speedsport Stables, which operated in Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ont., about 50 kilometres northeast of Toronto.

In 2013, David Small was convicted of fraud, sentenced to one year in jail and ordered to pay $1,400 in restitution.

After CBC Toronto reached out to Speedsport, a man who would identify himself only as Jay Lateen — he wouldn't provide the spelling of his last name —  said he's the owner of the snow clearing company, adding he knows the Small family but they don't operate the business. 

When asked why the company didn't fulfil its contracts, refund customers their money or return their calls, he said those were "false statements." 

"I do not feel I'm hard to get a hold of, nor do I have difficulty if something is wrong, refunding somebody their money."

Saberi, 73, owns a family restaurant in Aurora and paid Speedsport $800 to clear his and his elderly neighbour's driveways for the winter season.

His daughter found the company on Kijiji and Saberi said two men came to his restaurant in November to drop off a contract and pick up a cheque. They also ate lunch.

Saberi said the company didn't clear either driveway until he called a few times and demanded they show up after the major blizzard on Jan. 17.