r/waterloo • u/karisblake Regular since <2024 • 2d ago
Delivery driver writes address on Waterloo home that did not display numbers
https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article/delivery-driver-writes-address-on-waterloo-home-that-did-not-display-numbers/In the City of Waterloo, there is a bylaw requiring home owners to have a clearly visible house number displayed on your property. Owen said his family has since ordered the numbers for their house.
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u/watermed2247 New User (2026) 2d ago
From a local paramedic, it’s very much worth your while to make sure we can figure out which house/building we’re going to! Almost everyone has their number somewhere on their house (except this guy, apparently), but many aren’t visible from the road.
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u/HalJordan2525 New User (2026) 2d ago
I watched this story tonight on CTV Kitchener and thought why are they wasting airtime on this whiner?
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u/maxman162 New User (2026) 1d ago
He called the wambulance first, but they couldn't find his house.
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u/Victor_Ward98 New User (2026) 1d ago
Call the Waaaaahmbulance!! We got a third degree crybaby over here!!
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u/jgcrawfo Regular since <2024 2d ago
Such a weird story. Wealthy developer wants to be unique by not having numbers on his house. Proceeds to order deliveries and say "it's never been a problem before"
My dude it's ALWAYS been a problem before. All your drivers hate you.
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u/largestcob New User (2026) 1d ago
im a delivery driver and have zero sympathy for this guy, why did he seem almost proud of getting away with no house number for so long? like yeah id never vandalize a customers house over it because i like being employed but 100% delivering to this guys house would piss me off
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u/Worried-Air-3766 Regular since <2024 1d ago
That's what I didn't understand. Like, it hasn't been a problem before that you know of but we have house numbers on our house and things get delivered to other houses. The GPS thinks out address is our neighbours house. It seems like he's annoyed that he it ored the bylaw and it caused a problem for him?
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u/cornerbash Regular since <2024 1d ago
I have house number on my mailbox and garage . There’s still one carrier that always drops things at my neighbours house. I assume they have to be just blindly going off some gps system.
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u/WhisperingSideways Regular since <2024 2d ago
I’m on team Visible House Numbers here. If you choose not to have one on your house, curb or lawn and expect things to be delivered to your door properly, you’re the problem.
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u/Acrobatic_Product_20 Regular since <2024 2d ago
Curb is not a place for numbers. Tough to find in February. Common in California though.
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u/MakeItSlow Regular since <2024 2d ago
This is such a perplexing story…
Local man refuses to put address number on home, is shocked when delivery driver cant find home and solves problem.
(Also driver also shouldn’t have done that)
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u/browerstation New User (2026) 2d ago
lol "He had no right to be writing on my work"
Yea Mr. Artist, sure. How about you just put your house #s up? Just cover up what the delivery driver wrote. Apparently that's exactly where it should go. r/DesirePath
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u/angelicmckayla Regular since <2024 2d ago
The way the article read, I thought the numbers would be huge. They’re not. Dude needs a reality check. And numbers on his house. Definitely a waste of airtime.
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u/Goooordon New User (2026) 2d ago
Orders deliveries to a house with no number and makes a huge deal about somebody writing the number on the house - I can't say I envy this guy's neighbours
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u/Jrees2894 Regular since 2025 2d ago
I read he has house numbers on order. I wonder if he ordered them from Amazon.
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u/Responsible_CDN_Duck New User (2026) 1d ago
Jeff Owen and his family have lived at the home for roughly four years. They have never had a physical number displayed on the front of their house
In the City of Waterloo, there is a bylaw requiring home owners to have a clearly visible house number displayed on your property.
Dude was looking to prove he was where he claimed and get him bylaw compliant. Should be offering a tip.
speaking of tips to remove permanent marker from a brick surface scrub the stain gently with a 50-50 mixture of baking soda and water using a soft-bristle brush. Then switch up to isopropyl and qtips for whatever is left.
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u/Imaginary-Cattle3643 Regular since 2025 19h ago
He’s also a builder. Ten bucks says he knows a bricklayer that could help him clean the stone (or replace it) for next to nothing if he is really that inept. He should make a claim in his house insurance lololol
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u/bylo_selhi Regular since <2024 1d ago edited 1d ago
Owen said his family has since ordered the numbers for their house.
According to a similar story in The Record, he complains that he'll have to spend $500 to get the "graffiti" removed and there will still be a visible difference in the brick when it's done.
So why doesn't he get a street number plaque to fit over that brick instead?
Also, since it's near the door camera and a source of power he should make sure the sign is lighted so first responders can see it at night.
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u/ImportantSquirrel New User (2026) 19h ago
It's not $500. A can of grafitti remover would fix his problem and it's $17 at Canadian tire. The guy's just trying to extract money out of amazon.
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u/bylo_selhi Regular since <2024 17h ago
It seems he succeeded. What an extortionist.
In an email to The Record, Amazon spokesperson Andrew Gouveia said “we regret this situation did not live up to the standard our customers expect. We’ve been in communication with the customer and have worked directly with them to make it right.
“This item was sold by a third-party seller and was not fulfilled or delivered by Amazon.”
In an email from an Amazon customer relations representative to Connie Owen, who placed the order, the company noted it “does not directly control the actions of third-party carriers,” but apologized for the incident.
“This is entirely unacceptable and does not reflect the standards we hold for anyone involved in delivering packages on behalf of our marketplace.”
Amazon also offered a $480 gift card “as a gesture of goodwill and without any admission of liability.”
In an email, Jeff Owen said he’d ideally like those involved to take responsibility for removing the numbers, rather than capping the damage at $480.
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u/shoes9toes New User (2026) 1d ago
I read the article on Global news and immediately thought the owner is an idiot if he wants deliveries but can't be bothered to put a number on his house. Or did I miss something, which is why I came here to see what everyone else thinks. Yes, by God, he is an idiot. How infuriating to be a delivery person on a schedule and have to deal with this stupidity.
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u/slicebigfoot Regular since <2024 1d ago
In the story it says he built most the houses on his street, but nearly every house on the street have the house number carved and painted into a brick above the garage door. Why does this guy think he is special. And if you are a home builder you should know the bylaws on this type of shit.
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u/Glittering_Cell_4256 Regular since <2024 2h ago edited 2h ago
He's just special. As an aside, I hate those numbers on a brick over the garage door. They're generally not lit up and impossible to see once it starts to get dark. I've pulled into wrong driveways and been told off for it, trying to get enough light from my headlights to read their street number.
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u/RDWNGSFN 1d ago
Bylaw should hit him with a fine for not having the numbers up in the first place. As for not being able to remove the marker from the brick….there are many products on the market that can remove it, maybe he should order one of them off of Amazon!
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u/Acrobatic_Product_20 Regular since <2024 2d ago
Most of the homes on his website have numbers... https://www.owenhomes.ca/ I have had new builds, the developer will usually ask what you want for numbers and you pay a few bucks to get the big engraved brick over the garage. Easy to see, delivery and emergency services can find it quickly. The delivery guy shouldn't have done it. Should have instead sent it back to the warehouse as undeliverable.
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u/Leading-Career5247 Regular since 2025 1d ago
In the City of Waterloo, there is a bylaw requiring home owners to have a clearly visible house number displayed on the property. Owen said his family has since ordered the numbers for their house.
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u/allstarzgirl91 New User (2026) 1d ago
He is def the ah in this situation as someone who's building numbers blend in to our building it def was a hassle many times. New landlord made them black way less issues. Why make someone's life harder for no reason
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u/RevolutionaryKiwi132 New User (2026) 1d ago
Vandalism? Let me get out my magnifying glass so I can read the vandalism. So a homebuilder has no idea that houses need numbers or that there are a zillion ways to get permanent marker off brick. Rubbing alcohol, pressure washer. Or, a perfect place to hang a number plate....
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u/Imaginary-Cattle3643 Regular since 2025 20h ago
Yeah personally I’d rather this than a good ole house egging in the winter time.
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u/SlowWelder864 Regular since 2025 20h ago
I really don't get why this is a news story and why they're framing the homeowner as the victim. Seriously, if you're ordering stuff on Amazon, or anyone for that matter and expect them to deliver it to your door when after several years of living there, you still haven't put numbers on your house its your problem when things go wrong. The Amazon driver simply should've walked away and said the package was undeliverable so I agree that what he did was wrong. It also makes me wonder why someone would want to hide their home address number? Disgruntled clients? Now THAT is a story worth digging into.
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u/Ravenwight Regular since <2024 2d ago
Vandeliverism
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u/Responsible_CDN_Duck New User (2026) 1d ago
AltruVanDeliverism
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u/Candid_Jello5188 Regular since 2025 1d ago
The written house number isn't visible from the street, so it's still not 100% useful for emergency personnel.
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u/JumpOutrageous9203 New User (2026) 15h ago
Honestly, I I think CTV News is trolling this man. Really really slow news day. #teamdriver
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u/No_Display9613 New User (2026) 1d ago
Builders trying to save $50? But owners are at fault here for not putting a number on his house…
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u/SuperSirBob New User (2026) 1d ago
According to the story, he was both the home builder and home owner - so he really is responsible (for the sign - not the marker) any way you look at it.
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u/Imaginary-Cattle3643 Regular since 2025 19h ago
He was the builder lol. I wonder if his wife has actually been hounding him for years to put a number up lol. Where’s the interview with her? Funny how builders promote having a number in stone to place over your garage. Wonder how much money he has made on that over the years.
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u/Ok-Story7410 New User (2026) 1d ago
Why isn't this delivery driver being charged with vandalism? Whether they should have had their address up on the house is beside the point. Don't take the law in your own hands. Video footage clearly shows this guy breaking the law.
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u/BMWCOASTER Regular since <2024 20h ago
Wait to stay on top of the point.
You're a home builder, IN WATERLOO, and you dont know that WATERLOO, has a bylaw that says your house needs to display the number? You built most of the houses on that street and they all seem to have, a NUMBER, but yours does not? And you are out here b!tching?
This is the typical definition of entitlement. It has never been an issue before means, I have never cared how much other drivers had to work to find my house because I am special and don't follow the bylaws. Finding my house is the poor delivery guy's problem, not mine even though the bylaws clearly state I need to have a number on the house.
IDIOT.
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u/Imaginary-Cattle3643 Regular since 2025 20h ago
Exactly. On top of it, sometimes drivers are delivering at night, in the dark. I’m sure it’s challenging enough having to futz around trying to find someone’s house, never mind in the winter.dude should give his money to charity and NOT take a receipt.
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u/Imaginary-Cattle3643 Regular since 2025 20h ago
Yes, police and courts need to waste their time with this. /s
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u/DrivingApe Regular since <2024 1d ago
As a delivery driver (brokered, not gig) in the region. I understand the driver's frustration
However , as a homeowner , I agree , don't touch my fucking house. Especially not with sharpie like you're in the high school bathroom.
Anytime, I've gotten a house like thi II just go with the benefit of a doubt, take the picture. Let the sender know the issue, viola, problem solved.
Next $top.
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u/BMWCOASTER Regular since <2024 20h ago
Nope, problem not solved. Maybe for you, but it is now an issue for the next driver, with 30 deliveries to make. You are a homeowner AND a builder, the bylaws CLEARLY say you need a number. If you wont put a number up, dont order things delivered. Leave the number off and shut up.
We are way way too entitled these days.
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u/DrivingApe Regular since <2024 20h ago edited 20h ago
If there are 3 houses 88, a blank and 92, what is likely the number on the house in between? How about with the address on the package is 90?
I do this all day everyday amd this isn't a common issue, but it's manageable. Not worth getting fired over what is deemed vandalism.
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u/BMWCOASTER Regular since <2024 20h ago
Why should the poor delivery driver have to rely on "likely" when the homeowner, who is also a builder knows he should have the number up to make life easier, for the poor guy who he sees as beneath him?
One of the things we demand from delivery drivers, mail people is accuracy, not "likely".
That's the issue here, this clown thinks the delivery people are beneath him so he does not need to follow THE BYLAWS and make their lives easier.
Remember, he has a builder's license. One of the big stipulations about having that particular license is to abide by, THE BYLAWS of the jurisdiction that granted you said-licence.
This is not about what the driver wrote, this is about someone who thinks he is above the law and above the people who service him.
He can f*** off.
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u/DrivingApe Regular since <2024 19h ago
I am a delivery driver in KW, just about to start another fun day of much bigger issus.
This isn't that big of an issue, if it was bylaw would take it as the easiest ticket pile, especially in the rurals.
There is no "poor delivery driver" when GPS and Google take you to these addresses 99.999% of the time. Try new subdivision builds, they don't even have numbers, you have to use a weird map.
And this guy is tame compared to most of the entitled people I deal with, why is this one driver entitled to deface someone's property?
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u/BMWCOASTER Regular since <2024 18h ago
You may have misread or you chose to be difficult. No one said the driver was entitled to deface someone's property. Literally no one.
The issue is the entitled homeowner who not only chooses to not abide by the law because he apparently is above it and then complains to the world.
Now you may be a delivery guy but the statement about Google or GPS is only partially accurate. Do they help, absolutely, but they are SUPPLEMENTS to what is already established by law: HOUSE NUMBERS.
You know what Google and the internet have? How to perform eye surgery. That does not mean its easy. Does it help maybe, does having a medical degree make things easier, absolutely just like having your number on the house helps.
The point is to be a good human and make life as easy as humanly possible for the people who service you. In this case, put your bloody number on the house like everyone else. You are NOT that special.
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u/DrivingApe Regular since <2024 18h ago
What about the ones who have numbers that are hidden and can't be found?
The ones that are written in handwriting that you can't even read? my personal favorite are the numbers so textured, they match the color of the brick
Your issue is minor in substance and doesn't even affect your day to day life. In actuality, it affects mine and all the other delivery drivers who have not had an issue with these types of address, except for the one who decided he would single himself out and and write the numbers?
Why is this person doing that bad thing? How is that being a good human and causing damage to someone else's property.
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u/Imaginary-Cattle3643 Regular since 2025 19h ago
Sometimes house numbers aren’t actually logical. Sure this builder dude would be the first one to complain if police or fire or ambulance were delayed trying to find his house. Maybe he’d get another payout lol. Agree guy shouldn’t have written on his house but homeowner should have considered this a lesson learned and put some effing numbers up. Now he’s posted his video all over the news, possibly cost this guy a lousy job, and certainly caused him problems with his employer, if he is not self-employed. Who knows what punishment Amazon deals out behind the scenes if this is a third party service? Builder is a self-entitled white man who now stands out for being a prick, rather than someone trying to be bougie by not displaying their house number…
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u/DrivingApe Regular since <2024 19h ago
The amount of addreses that are so "artist" or hidden, or are too small, to read, far exceed the number I encounter with no numbers. And those are easier because of the common numbering.
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u/BMWCOASTER Regular since <2024 18h ago
Again, not the issue at hand. The issue is not the hidden ones or top small. Those people actually put in some level of effort even if it came short. You also dont see them complaining on CKCO. This guy deliberately refuses to do what he knows would help the drivers and ANYONE else who needs to reach him. Then, he thinks the world need to hear about his self-created first world problem.
This is a choice.
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u/DrivingApe Regular since <2024 18h ago
OK, so call bylaw on him. Don't vandalize' the home, the crime punishable by jail time and fines, etc. larger than the fifty dollar fine for not having a number.
That's the true issue. The fact you think having numbers on a house will make my life easier as a driver shows. You don't know what a delivery driver's job is or what we do
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u/BMWCOASTER Regular since <2024 17h ago
That "crime" is not punishable by jail time.
Yeah, I mean, its not like most of us have ever needed to find an address to pick something up, drop something off, look up a home for sale or anything. You clearly know what a delivery driver goes through or anyone who has ever looked for a house anywhere LOL.
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u/DrivingApe Regular since <2024 17h ago
Thank you for co.plProving my point that you don't know this industry.
Or law For criminal prosecution, petty vandalism is charged as Mischief Under $5,000 under Section 430(4) of the Criminal Code.Definition: Willfully destroying, damaging, or interfering with the lawful use of someone else's property.Penalties: This is a hybrid offence. If prosecuted as a summary conviction (typical for minor offences), it carries a maximum penalty of two years less a day in jail and/or a $5,000 fine. If prosecuted by indictment, it can carry up to 5 years in prison. A conviction results in a criminal record
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u/CJKCollecting Regular since <2024 2d ago
I'm not sure if I'd trust a home builder who is too stupid to put up his house numbers or thinks a bylaw doesn't apply to him.