Perth builder fined $24k for renovation blunders
A Perth renovator has been fined for charging a deposit six times the maximum amount, failing legal requirements and disregarding official rectification orders, among other offences.
Following prosecution by Building and Energy, kitchen renovator Christopher Laurance Reich was found guilty at Perth Magistrates Court of violating Western Australia’s laws regarding home building contracts and building complaints – he was fined $24,000.
During the proceeding, the court was told the offences date back to 2022 when Reich was engaged by a couple in Oakford to carry out their kitchen renovation work valued at $18,711.
To instigate the renovation, Reich demanded the couple to pay an $8,000 deposit which represents 42.7 per cent of the contract price – by law the maximum deposit is 6.5 per cent. Reich was fined $3,000 for this offence.
An extra $1,000 was also handed down as the contract Reich provided the couple with did not comply with legal requirements. The contract failed to mention all terms and conditions in writing, including a notice for home owners about their rights, and wasn’t signed by all parties.
In addition, Reich copped another $5,000 fine for non-genuine progress payments when he asked the Oakford home owners for three progress payments valued at $6,000, $1,615 and $3,616 when the corresponding work had not been carried out.
The largest fine of $15,000 was imposed over Reich’s failure to comply with a building remedy order issued by the state building commissioner. The order required him to fix defects and incomplete work, including the installation of a missing window, which had led to weather damage and vermin infestations.
Despite the issued remedy order, Reich did not carry out any of the required remedial work. He was convicted in his absence on 25 October 2024 and ordered to pay $631.74 in costs.
In commenting on the proceedings, Western Australia’s building commissioner, Saj Abdoolakhan, said that disregarding consumers’ legal protections was unacceptable.
“The limits and requirements set by the Home Building Contracts Act 1991 ensure home owners are not left out of pocket for excessive deposits or premature progress payments, as well as having the correct contractual documents, in the event of issues with a project,” he said.
“Similarly, compliance with a building remedy order is mandatory. The penalties in this case should remind building service providers of their legal obligations and community expectations.”