A South Portland businessman is blaming a failed expansion and subdivision in Lewiston for his recent bankruptcy filing and upcoming real estate foreclosure auction.

According to media reports, roofing contractor David J. Deschaine said his attempt to expand his business to Lewiston and start a 13-lot subdivision led to financial problems that forced him to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Best known for his TV ads with the tag line “Keep out the rain. Call Dave Deschaine,” he said he used his commercial property in South Portland as collateral in 2005 for the subdivision project and second business location.

Deschaine told WCSH-Channel 6 that the move came just before the housing market collapsed when the demand for new home construction dropped. The company with which he financed the project folded and left him hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt.

Deschaine must liquidate his personal and company assets under Chapter 7. Keenan Auction Co. has scheduled a preview on Oct. 21 and plans to hold the liquidation auction on Nov. 4. The South Portland property includes gutter and vinyl siding inventory and a commercial building with offices on about 0.4 acres on Dunscombe Street.