A Sydney man contracted to work on the homes of three customers has been ordered to repay $31,000 after leaving his work for two people in an incomplete and poor state and completing uninsured and substandard work for a third person.
NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Natasha Mann said Anthony Lee Francis was also fined $90,000, ordered to pay $16,500 in legal costs and was convicted of 16 offences under the Home Building Act and Australian Consumer Law.
“The court heard Mr Francis entered into a total of $41,500 worth of contracts between December 2018 and December 2020 to do residential work at properties at Ashcroft, Austral and Mount Pritchard,” Ms Mann said.
“Mr Francis was unlicensed to contract and do this type of work, demanded more than 10 per cent deposits from each customer, and didn’t get appropriate insurance for the work at the Mount Pritchard property, where it was required under the Home Building Act.
“The contractor did not complete all the work he was paid thousands of dollars to do at the Ashcroft and Austral properties which was in breach of the Australian Consumer Law.”
Ms Mann said these customers had trusted Mr Francis to finish the work he started.
“This is not the first time Mr Francis has been convicted of offences under the same legislation having been convicted and ordered to pay fines, costs and compensation totalling $77,000 in 2019,” Ms Mann said.
“NSW Fair Trading is dedicated to protecting consumer rights and ensuring that tradespeople and contractors are appropriately licensed when dealing with customers.”
