Man fined $10,000 for illegal Prahran building work
An individual has been convicted and fined $10,000 at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for carrying out illegal building work.
The man had lied to a Prahran homeowner, saying he had the appropriate permits and paperwork and was undertaking the work under another builders’ registration.
The Victorian Building Authority laid the charges against the man alleging that there was no written building contract, he was not registered, there was no building permit and he did not have the necessary insurances. The man, whose name was not released to the public, plead guilty to all charges.
In 2009, the same man was found guilty after being prosecuted for similar offences. The Ringwood Magistrates’ court at the time ordered a fine of $3,000 and $8,076 to be paid in costs.
Murray Smith, VBA compliance and performance director, said that this explains why owners should only use registered builders and must ensure they have a building permit.
“All domestic building work in Victoria costing more than $5000 must be done by a builder who is registered with the Building Practitioners Board (BPB) and the arrangement between the parties must be documented in a written major domestic building contract,” he said.
“By using a registered builder you are hiring a professional who meets the legal requirements and has the insurance and skills needed to do the job properly.”
Smith said that for properties in Victoria nearly all building work requires a permit, and registered builders know the requirements.