The Werribee Magistrates’ Court has ordered that an unregistered builder pay costs and stop certain conduct unless he becomes registered.
Consumer Affairs Victoria took action against Walid El Haouli, 41, of Williams Landing (trading as BRB Modular Homes), after receiving two consumer complaints in 2016 relating to properties in Tarneit and Brighton East.
The court found that Mr El Haouli:
- entered into major domestic building contracts to supply domestic building goods and services (including kitchen cabinetry work) without being registered
- entered into major domestic building contracts that did not contain the required information
- entered into a domestic building contract and demanded and received excessive deposits
- failed to provide building owners with a signed copy of the major domestic building contract between them
- took payments for domestic building services that he failed to supply within the period specified in the domestic building contract, or a reasonable time.
The court’s orders include that Mr El Haouli must not:
- enter into any major domestic building contract unless he becomes a registered builder
- demand or receive an excessive deposit under a domestic building contract
- describe himself as a registered builder until such time he is registered.
Mr El Haouli must also:
- keep all receipts, customer orders and contracts for five years from the time they are created
- feature a notice stating the court’s orders on the front cover of all domestic building contracts that he enters into for the next two years or until he becomes a registered builder
- pay costs of $1,757.
For more information on building registration requirements in Victoria, visit our Becoming a registered building practitioner page.