A de-registered builder that failed to finish work on a number of Perth homes, has been fined almost $20,000 after submitting a forged document to State Administrative Tribunal which contained false information about a building contract.
In August, Kameleon Homes' owner Jeffrey West had his building registration revoked by the WA Building Services Board after it investigated a number of complaints about unfinished and unsatisfactory work on properties around Perth.
But the board also pursued disciplinary action against him through SAT in relation to work carried out at in properties in Joondalup and Kelmscott between 2013 and 2016.
SAT fined Mr West $18, 320 because be produced a document to the tribunal as evidence of terms of the Joondalup contract that was not actually part of the agreement and contained a forged signature.
The tribunal also found Mr West left a Kelmscott home owner more than $31,000 out-of-pocket after he demanded a deposit and never commenced work on the property.
Mr West also ignored a SAT order to pay the Joondalup owners $50,000 by October 2015.
"This case highlights the importance of consumers not making any payments including deposits without being satisfied that a certificate of home indemnity insurance has been obtained by the builder," Building commissioner Peter Gow said.
"Mr West no longer holds a builder registration in Western Australia and is not entitled to contract for or carry out builder work valued over $20,000.
"Consumers should avoid engaging Mr West's services for building work which requires a registration."
Kameleon Homes hit the headlines in August after the company failed to complete work on a young family's Kalamunda home.
Graham Ugle told WAtoday at the time he was forced to pay an extra $30,000 on top of the $390,000 he already paid just to complete the home so he could move into it with his heavily-pregnant wife.
"Basically, we have to pay someone to finish all the electrical and plumbing work and all the lights inside and out," Mr Ugle told WAtoday.
"The lights alone will cost between $10-15,000, the electrics around $8,000 and I'm not sure how much the plumbing will cost yet."
Affordable Double Glazing owner Alan Greathead also alleged back in August Kameleon Homes still owed him more than $10,000 for a job he did for the company earlier in the year.
He set up a Facebook page for people and contractors to post their dealings with the building company and dozens of people posted on the page claiming to be owed money by Kameleon Homes.
"We installed the job, no problems, job satisfaction from his supervisor, we have been paid $20,000 out of the $30,000 contract value," Mr Greathead said.
"Then chasing the balance he just flatly turned around and said 'we are not going to pay you, just do what you want'.
"We have a letter from his solicitor saying we are going to be fully paid on July 30, obviously that day has been and gone and no payment was made.
"There is everything from contractors who are owed $30,000, $25,000, $20,000, I've even got a building surveyor who has worked for him who has a list of clients that are unhappy with him.
"This was brought to the attention of the Building Commission enforcement department in January and six months on, he's still taking money off people that's traded and people who've have given a large amount of money to do a building project that is unfinished."