This is what you want to see a builder doing after you pay them thousands of dollars. But for a North Bondi man, actual labour was a distant dream. Picture: Glenn Barnes
EVERY renovator has a tale of a dodgy builder who failed to live up to their promises.
But for one homeowner in Sydney’s beachside North Bondi, it wasn’t just a case of creative differences that turned a dream renovation into a nightmare.
Instead of a sparkling new kitchen and laundry, Guildford man Paul Logan delivered nothing but endless delays in return for the $5900 he received for the $7200 job.
“He kept trying to get more time. He kept saying another man had the new doors locked up in a warehouse, he was going overseas. It just went on and on. It just got ridiculous,” the homeowner told Fairfax Media.
Logan, trading as Paul Logan Creations, never intended to do the work.
He didn’t even have a licence, having tricked his customer by masquerading as another builder with the same name on the far north coast of NSW.
And it emerged that he’d done the same thing to a string of other victims, repeatedly taking excessive deposits that he refused to refund after failing to lift a finger.
Now, he’s been ordered by Parramatta Local Court to pay $75,775 in fines and costs as well as $14,700 consumer compensation, in a judgment handed down last month.
The NSW consumer watchdog has released the details of the case in the hopes of deterring similar building scams.
Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said consumers should only deal with licensed builders, and should never pay more than 10 per cent as a deposit.
“Consumers should refrain from paying traders further money until work has commenced,” Mr Stowe said.
Formerly known as Richard or Rachid Younan, Logan formally changed his name in 2009.
He previously traded under the business name of Richards Tile Services and had a history of dodging consumer protection laws under a variety of aliases, dates of birth and trading names.
Builders carrying out work valued at more than $5000 are required by law to be licensed.
New legislation in NSW means that any builder found guilty of a second offence under fair trading laws could face jail.
Check if your NSW builder has a licence online, or call 13 32 20.
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