There are increasing calls for NSW Fair Trading to act against a Sydney builder that has a number of unfinished home builds, some whose owners have been told their houses’ conditions are so bad they need to be demolished and built again.
Kathy Mattiello is one JND Homes client who has been waiting two years for her Sydney home to be finished.
Mattiello said mould is growing on the timber frames because they have been exposed to wet weather since January 2023.
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She said it’s likely they’ll have to start the build from scratch because the home’s structural integrity has been compromised.
“There’s a good chance they will have to demolish it … which is a huge setback,” she said.
A group of 15 JND Homes customers have lodged complaints with NSW Fair Trading over their incomplete homes.
JND Homes was issued a total of 13 rectification orders, the majority for incomplete work, NSW Fair Trading said.
Mattiello said the rectification orders for her build were due on September 15, but haven’t been completed.
NSW Fair Trading said if JND Homes fails to comply with the rectification orders, disciplinary action would be taken which could include fines or the cancellation of the builder’s license.
“Fair Trading is focused on monitoring compliance with the rectification orders,” a spokesperson said.
“While the builder is still trading, customers can lodge a complaint in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.”
The JND Homes customers said the consumer watchdog should cancel JND Homes’ building licence.
“It’s really left our whole life in limbo,” Mattiello said.
Young couple Rosie and Sam Tramontana signed with JND Homes in September 2021, but are yet to move into their house.
They allege they found a number of defects at different stages of their build that JND Homes did not accept accountability for.
Sam said, over the past two years, other JND Homes’ customers told him the builder had not responded to their unsettled debts.
He said he hasn’t heard from the builder in two months regarding his own house.
“I just don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Sam said.
“There’s homeowner’s properties that are being vandalised now … I empathise with them.”
NSW Fair Trading said it issued a total of 430 rectification orders for incomplete homes in the 2022-2023 financial year — of which 57 per cent were not complied with.
“An increase in the number of builders going into administration contributed to the number of complaints received regarding incomplete homes and rectification orders not being complied with,” a spokesperson said.
So far this year, 21 NSW builders had an administrator appointed, and 69 builders are classified as “in liquidation”.
The NSW government promised to establish a new building commission in May 2023 to regulate the state’s construction industry.
Better Regulation and Fair Trading Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said the commission should be established by the end of this year.
JND Homes has been contacted for comment.
– With Sarina Andaloro
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