Matthew Pope, who operated the business Western Outdoor Creations Pty Ltd, pleaded guilty to 13 charges brought by the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC).
The charges include receiving deposit amounts in excess of the contract price and failing to comply with the requirements of a major domestic building contract.
The Ballarat Magistrates’ Court heard Pope fleeced more than $105,000 from 7 homeowners over 14 months in and around Ballarat, Beaufort and Stawell.
Pope would quote the homeowners for backyard verandah and patio jobs before taking their money and disappearing, leaving them out of pocket and still needing to hire another builder to get the work done.
The Ballarat man was ordered to repay some victims during separate civil proceedings, but is yet to make any payments.
Pope’s building registration has been suspended since 2024.
The BPC’s CEO and Commissioner Anna Cronin says it’s important homeowners ensure their builder is appropriately registered for the work they quote or carry out and report those who ask for deposits above the legal amount.
“This case serves as a warning to those who break the law and put consumers at risk – we will catch up with you”, she said.
In Victoria, it is an offence for a builder to take more than 5% of the quoted price as a deposit for jobs over $20,000 and more than a 10% deposit for jobs under $20,000.
Consumers should always use a registered builder for jobs over $10,000.
For jobs more than $16,000, builders must take out mandatory building insurance before they take any payment and consumers should ask for a copy of their certificate.
After 1 July, mandatory insurance will apply to building work costing $20,000 or more, under Victoria’s new Home Warranty scheme.
You can check a practitioner’s licence, registration or disciplinary and prosecution history at bpc.vic.gov.au/check .
If you know of an unregistered builder or plumber, you can report them to us at bpc.vic.gov.au/report .
