A former Victorian practitioner has been fined for performing domestic building work that he was not qualified to do, putting occupants of a Melbourne building at risk of it being significantly damaged by strong winds.
Paul Rees, who operated APR Plumbing, appeared before the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court following a Victorian Building Authority (VBA) investigation.
He pleaded guilty and was convicted and fined $1000 by the court.
The court heard that Mr Rees had never been a registered builder in Victoria, only a plumber, yet he undertook domestic building work, replacing a split-level roof on a property in the Melbourne suburb of Windsor.
The VBA’s Executive Director of Regulatory Operations, David Brockman, said there were compliance issues and installation flaws with the work Mr Rees did, which put the occupants of the property in danger.
“Mr Rees was never a registered builder and he should not have been undertaking this work. The work he performed was of poor quality and residents complained of water leaking when it rained,” Mr Brockman said.
“A subsequent review of the roof work revealed significant compliance problems that had to be fixed. It was fortunate that the worst case scenario did not occur, as it was found the roof could have been blown off in a storm.”
A report found that the new roof had been laid directly over the old roof, the structural regrading had insufficient tie downs and as a result it was not structurally sound.
“We remind all consumers that they should check the registration of any building practitioner that they engage,” Mr Brockman said.
“The majority of builders do the right thing and complete work competently and safely, so before you book anyone check that they are who they say they are.”
You can also check if a building practitioner or company is registered using our find a practitioner directory.
The VBA has an online consumer resource portal with information for anyone who is experiencing issues with builders or plumbers.
