Matt Lui and his wife Krista Chau had big plans to start a new life in Pickering. The couple, who currently resides in London, Ont., made the decision to move in the fall of 2024.
“We wanted to move back to be closer to family. We pulled the trigger and we were ecstatic about this pre-construction home that we ended up purchasing,” Matt shared.
That home, on Kerrydale Avenue and Marchington Square, is part of builder Mattamy’s Seaton Whitevale development. The couple was set to close and move in back in October of 2025.
“We found out we were pregnant later in 2025 so were really looking forward to moving into the house to start our family,” Matt said.
“It was all kind of perfect timing at that point,” his wife Krista added.
But months before that was to happen, they received some bad news. “In August of 2025, we got a call from our builder, notifying us of a fire at the build site.”
The fire, which caused damage to the home, delayed closing. While it was an unexpected setback, the couple chalked it up to a one-time bad luck deal.
“We ended up swallowing the bitter pill and elected to wait it out. Eight weeks later, we got a second call from the builder, and the news was much more grave.”
A second fire occurred on September 25 and destroyed the couple’s home. Durham Regional Police announced it was a suspected arson.
“We were assured by Mattamy that there would be adequate security measures added to secure the site, including surveillance. They told us the house would be remediated, any damage would be repaired, and everything would be done to code.”
Mattamy got to work rebuilding the home and set a closing date for this May.
“We did our pre-delivery inspection on May 7. We had a chance to fall in love with the house all over again.”
But then several days later, another suspected arson attack happened on May 9, which meant another closing had been delayed. Mattamy was relying on an unavoidable delay clause, written in the couple’s sales contract.
“We couldn’t understand why our home kept getting hit,” Matt said.
“Everyone kept asking us: ‘Is anyone targeting you?’ and we were like ‘There’s no way!’ We’re just kind of nobodies really trying to start a new life,” Krista added.
Since the very first fire, Mattamy has provided 24/7 security and surveillance with a private company and off-duty police officers.
But it hasn’t stopped whoever is responsible.
“I’m not sure why our house is being targeted. There’s suspicion in online communities that we’re the ones that are the perpetrators of this crime which is just adding more stress to be accused of something you had no involvement in,” Matt said.
With three fires in less than a year, the couple, expecting their first child next month, no longer feels safe moving in.
“We’re not really keen to move into a potentially hostile neighbourhood,” Matt shared.
They wanted to keep their business with Mattamy and asked for a lot change, or at least some other concessions as the continued delayed closings have financially impacted the couple, who again had every original intention to move into the property last fall.
“The positioning that they’re taking is that we’re still bound to the agreement of purchase and sale, despite what I deem to be failures in security and a duty of care to us,” Matt said. “They obviously played no role in setting the fire, but they had a role to play in ensuring the safety of the site.”
When Speakers Corner reached out to Mattamy, we were told they are limited on what they can say due to the ongoing investigation.
“We are aware of the arson incidents affecting our Seaton Whitevale community in Pickering and understand the stress and uncertainty this has caused for our homeowners,” a Mattamy spokesperson said. “We are doing everything within our control to address these incidents and support a safe community. We continue to work with homeowners within the framework of their agreements while focusing on completing their homes as safely and as quickly as possible.”
The couple, now less than two weeks from not having any home to move into, are losing patience and considering seeking legal counsel.
But when it comes to pre-construction contracts, it could be a tough fight, says real estate lawyer Max Koenkoop, with Toronto-based law firm Korman and Company.
“In a new construction contract, this really proves even after three catastrophic fire events, a buyer still doesn’t have the automatic right to walk.”
Which is vastly different from existing or resale home sales contracts.
“In a resale, if a fire were to occur, the buyer can often demand their deposit back, rescind the contract and move on,” Koenkoop said. “Not the case for pre-construction. This case is a firsthand example showing you how heavily weighted these agreements lean in the builder’s favour when it comes to these unavoidable delay clauses.”
One thing everyone can agree on, from the couple to the builder, is finding whoever is responsible for the continued arson attacks so they stop.
Durham Regional Police have already sent out alerts pleading with the public for information that can lead to arrests. A spokesperson tells us the investigation is very much active but could not say if they are closing in on any suspects.
Having planned for their May move in, Matt and Krista already rented out their previous London home, have had to cancel vendors they hired for the move and appliances they purchased last fall are sitting in a warehouse waiting for pick-up. With a new baby weeks away, they are now searching for a home.
The couple is waiting to hear when the next closing date will be.
“This has really put us in an impossibly difficult situation,” Matt said. “We were hoping to build our family in this home. We just feel like a more humane and empathetic approach would be appreciated, not just by us, but by other purchasers that find themselves in a difficult situation like this. And we’re not getting any concessions.”
Anyone who may have information into any of the fires is asked to contact Durham police or Crime Stoppers.
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