A Hawthorn builder and landscaper has been convicted and fined for failing to comply with the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (the Act) and the Australian Consumer Law (Victoria).
Andrew Michael Renn, Director of Tamandco Pty Ltd (ACN: 067 978 625), entered into a domestic building contract to carry out extensive landscaping work worth more than $142,000.
Mr Renn, 49, did not attend the hearing and the Melbourne Magistrates' Court found him guilty in his absence of:
- requesting a deposit that is more than 5 per cent of the contract price. The Act does not allow deposits for domestic building contracts more than $20,000 to exceed 5 per cent of the total amount
- entering into a domestic building contract that was not compliant because it failed to include all the required particulars in the contract
- accepting payment to supply building works and failing to complete the work within a reasonable timeframe.
Mr Renn was fined $6,000, ordered to refund $30,400 to the affected consumers and pay $1,724 in legal costs.
Hearing date: 23 May, 2017
Location: Melbourne Magistrates' Court