A London family says they’re facing thousands of dollars in additional expenses after an alleged drunk driver crashed into their backyard, leaving their fence, deck and patio door damaged. Sargon Koshaba says he contacted TD Insurance immediately after the March 6, 2026, crash, expecting the damages to be repaired. “I’m not asking for a betterment on my property from the insurance company. I’m just asking for my house to be put back the way it was prior to the accident,” he said. But months later, the couple says they’re still dealing with a dispute over the cost of repairs. Janet Koshaba was sleeping inside the home when the vehicle came through the backyard fence, drove across the deck and slammed into the patio door. TD Insurance sent its own contractor to assess the damage. The resulting estimate was approximately $13,000. The Koshabas say three other contractors provided estimates in the range of $40,000 to replace their damaged fence, lawn and backyard deck. The Koshaba’s say the contractor selected by TD was unable to complete the work for at least a year. Unwilling to wait that long, the homeowners found another contractor willing to do the work for approximately $20,000. However, they say the repairs will not fully restore the backyard to its original condition, and they’re concerned the differences could affect the property’s resale value. The fence has only been repaired in the section where the vehicle crashed through, and the replacement does not match the rest of the existing fence. The couple says they’ve paid their $2,000 insurance deductible and are covering additional costs out of pocket. Ammer Esho, with General Restoration Services, is now completing some of the repairs. He says rising material and labour costs can make delays particularly difficult for contractors and homeowners. “Today I went to one of the suppliers to pick up material. And prices gone up 10 per cent,” Esho said. He says contractors can be left absorbing those increases when projects are delayed while waiting for insurance approval. In an email to the homeowners, TD outlined a cash-settlement option of $13,193.73, after taxes and the $2,000 deductible were factored in. The offer was based on TD’s approved repair estimate of $13,445.78, plus applicable taxes. The insurer also indicated it could reimburse withheld contractor overhead and profit costs up to $2,279.06 if the homeowners’ licensed general contractor charged those fees. Gabriel Murray, a lawyer who handles insurance disputes, says delays involving insurance-approved contractors are becoming an increasingly common problem. He says homeowners are often left choosing between waiting for an insurer’s contractor or accepting a cash settlement and hiring someone themselves. The difficulty, Murray says, comes when the homeowner’s preferred contractor charges more than the insurer is willing to pay. Homeowners may also have the option of pursuing the at-fault driver to recover additional costs, but Murray says that route can be expensive. In a statement to CTV News, Megan Sampson, manager of corporate and public affairs at TD Bank Group, said the company understands how difficult it can be when a home is damaged. “TD Insurance is working closely with the client to review the information provided to make sure their claim is assessed based on the coverage available to them and remain committed to supporting our client the best we can throughout the process,” Sampson said. The Koshabas say they aren’t looking for an upgrade to their property. They want their backyard restored to the condition it was in before the crash.
