Contest runs below enforcement radar

Local police haven’t received any official complaints from entrants of the writing contest to win a Malahide house and property once it was ended at the end of April without a winner.

To date, only one entrant of the Essay House contest has confirmed with The Aylmer Express that they received part of their $100 entry fee back from the contest to win the residential property owned by Calvin and Diana Brydges who live east of Aylmer.

Elgin County Ontario Provincial Police Constable Troy Carlson said no complaints about the Essay House contest had been received.

Aylmer Police Chief Andre Reymer on Monday, June 30 confirmed his department had received an email through its website at about 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 26 from a person who “finally” received a partial refund of their entry fee and that they had contacted the “local media.”

“They had to persist and were also charged a fee to return the money,” Chief Reymer said. “They signed it (the email)‘concerned citizen’.”

Chief Reymer said his service had not received any official complaints about the contest as of Monday morning.

Other than filing criminal charges, Chief Reymer said there was another route for entrants to take in an attempt to get their money back.

“Refunds may well become a civil matter as a contract dispute as well,” he said.

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Download the full story as it appeared in the Express here.