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Property owner fined after home indemnity insurance mix-up

13 NOV 2019 By Emma Ryan 2 min read Investor Strategy

A Perth property owner has been fined $2,400 for selling his house without the necessary indemnity insurance, sparking warning to other home owners.

forsale sign new spi

Jonathon Robert Reardon appeared at Joondalup Magistrates Court on 1 November, where he pleaded guilty to an offence under WA’s home building contract laws following a prosecution by Building and Energy.

“The court was told that in 2013, Mr Reardon received owner-builder approval and a building permit for the construction of a two-storey home in Yanchep, which was completed the following year,” a statement from WA’s building regulator, Building and Energy, said.

“In 2016, Mr Reardon entered into a contract to sell the property but did not have a home indemnity insurance policy, which is required if an owner-builder sells the house within seven years of the building permit issue date.”

Commenting further, Building and Energy executive director Saj Abdoolakhan said the laws were designed to protect new owners from building defects.

 
 

“Owner-builders are responsible for their building work for seven years from when the building permit is granted,” he explained.

“Home indemnity insurance covers subsequent owners if the owner-builder fails to rectify faulty or unsatisfactory workmanship for reasons such as insolvency, death or disappearance.”

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RELATED TERMS

House
A house refers to a building or property used as living quarters or an individual’s place of permanent or temporary residence.
Indemnity
An indemnity is a contractual agreement where one party agrees to pay for the potential losses or damages caused by another party.
Insurance
In real estate, insurance is a contract or policy that protects an individual or entity’s property from damages and losses, receiving reimbursement from an insurance company.
Owner
An owner is an individual or entity that has legal ownership and rights to an asset or property.
Property
Property refers to either a tangible or intangible item that an individual or business has legal rights or ownership of, such as houses, cars, stocks or bond certificates.
Emma Ryan

Emma Ryan

AUTHOR

Emma Ryan is the deputy head of content at Momentum Media.

Emma has worked for Momentum Media since 2015, and has since been responsible for breaking some of the biggest stories in corporate Australia, including across the legal, mortgages, real estate and wealth industries. In addition, Emma has launched several additional sub-brands and events, driven by a passion to deliver quality and timely content to audiences through multiple platforms.

Email Emma on: Emma.Ryan@momentummedia.com.au

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