Quebec man fined for helping defective pool owners seek compensation via Facebook

When Quebec City resident Philippe Vézina noticed the cedar planking around his eight-year-old pool was starting to rot, he contacted the manufacturer, Trévi, a Quebec pool company. However, he was disappointed when they only offered a discount on replacement parts, which he felt was not sufficient. This led him to join a Facebook group with about 60 members, all facing the same issue with their pools.

As the administrator of the Facebook group called “Ma piscine en cèdre est pourrie! (My cedar pool is rotten!)”, Vézina quickly realized the scale of the problem with Trévi pools. He dedicated countless hours helping members push for fair compensation from the company. The group gained momentum after a segment on Radio-Canada’s La facture television program highlighted a couple’s purchase of a $19,000 pool that deteriorated in just five years.

After the segment aired, Trévi’s president Benoît Hudon acknowledged the issue, stating that pools manufactured after 2012 had premature wear. This prompted Vézina to take a more proactive role in advocating for pool owners’ rights.

Hudon reached out to Vézina and invited him to a meeting where they discussed the ongoing pool issues. Vézina signed a confidential agreement resolving his claim and committed to helping other members of the Facebook group reach fair settlements with Trévi. However, this act of benevolence landed him in hot water.

Following an anonymous complaint, the Quebec Bar Association launched an investigation into Vézina for illegally practicing law without a license. Despite Vézina’s intentions to simply facilitate communication between Trévi and the group members, the Bar concluded that he had overstepped his role by acting as an intermediary for settling claims related to cedar pools.

Vézina was ordered to cease performing any acts reserved for lawyers and fined $7,500 for unauthorized legal practice. Despite his arguments that he was merely helping and not claiming to be a lawyer, the Bar maintained that providing legal advice, even without explicitly stating so, constitutes unauthorized practice.

While Vézina’s actions were seen as a civic initiative by some, the Bar emphasized the importance of consulting a lawyer for legal matters. Trévi also received a warning from the regulatory body regarding the situation.

Despite the legal repercussions, Vézina remains committed to helping others and believes in voluntarily assisting people within the boundaries of the law. Trévi has stated that they have resolved over 98% of the issues with cedar pools, offering tailored solutions for each case to rectify the premature wear and damage experienced by pool owners.