Scandalous Practices of Landscaping Company “Paysagement Communautaire” Lead to Fines and Complaints

A landscaping company, located in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in Montérégie, was found guilty of harassment over the telephone to obtain money and of having billed for services never requested by customers.

• Read also: Beware of fake firewood sellers

• Read also: Senior robbed of $433,000: ex-bank employee gets 30 months

Mario Cloutier and Valérie Côté are at the head of the numbered company 9095-6103 Québec inc., better known under the name “Paysagement Communautaire”.

The couple claims to be “pioneers in organic lawn watering in Quebec.” Their company, however, does not make it for its specialty, but rather for its questionable practices causing it to be fined $4,861, the Consumer Protection Office (OPC) revealed on Tuesday.

“The Office accused them of having billed lawn treatments to a consumer who had not requested them, in May 2019 in Mont-Saint-Hilaire. Paysagement Communautaire was also condemned for having harassed with a view to being paid a sum of money,” the organization wrote in a press release.

Portrait of the couple Valérie Côté and Mario Cloutier, founders of the “Community Landscape” company

Courtesy

The OPC specifies that the harassment took the form of “incessant telephone calls” to a resident of Greenfield Park. The latter suffered this ordeal for almost six months, from June to November 2019.

See below an advertisement from the company “Paysagement Communautaire”

Several complaints and lawsuits

Paysagement Communautaire was found guilty of these offenses by the court last July.

According to information transmitted to Journalthe company of Mario Cloutier and Valérie Côté has been targeted by at least 30 complaints to the OPC since 2021. The nature of these concerns billing problems, non-compliance of a service or even deceptive practices.

The OPC reports that five formal notices have been sent to the merchant since 2021. At least eight lawsuits in Small Claims Court have also been filed against the landscaping company.

Screenshot of the Paysagecommunautaire.com website

Customers red with anger

Several dozen Quebecers, unhappy with their contract, have also warned the population on social networks against the company which serves dozens of cities across the province.

“I gave a contract to Paysagement Communaunaire to treat my lawn. Result: my lawn has never been so ugly and full of weeds in 53 years. Beware,” wrote one of them.

The Journal contacted Mario Cloutier and Valérie Côté for an interview request, but our request went unanswered.

▶ Paysagement Communautaire also uses these other company names: “9095-6103 QUÉBEC INC.”, “Journées Collectives Gazon Vert” and “Journées Collectives Paysagement Communautaire”.