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Victorian tradie cops $20k fine over unfinished projects
A Victorian tradie who took thousands of dollars from customers for building work he never completed has been convicted and fined $20,000.
A tradie in Ballan, northwest of Melbourne, has been convicted and fined after taking thousands of dollars in deposits from home owners but failing to carry out or complete building tasks.
Austin Bongart, 27, trading as Aussie’s Concrete and Fencing Solutions, committed multiple offences between 2022 and 2024, according to Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV).
The business accepted more than $30,000 in payments for seven unrelated building jobs, but little or no work was completed, and customers experienced lengthy delays when seeking refunds.
In a sentencing appeal heard by the County Court of Victoria last week, Bongart was convicted and fined a total of $20,000.
The fines included $9,000 for failing to supply services, $4,000 for accepting excessive deposits, and $2,000 for entering a major domestic building contract while unregistered.
The court heard Bongart had made efforts to reimburse customers, although still ultimately owed $13,400, which he has been ordered to repay.
CAV warned that anyone planning building work or renovations should be wary of tradies who pressure them to sign a contract straight away, or pay a large deposit.
It also said, before signing contracts, home owners should research the business and check their registration, ask friends and family for recommendations, and get more than one written quote to compare prices.
“Anyone carrying out building works valued at more than $10,000 must be registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC),” it said.
The matter came after the Victorian government rolled out stronger protections for home owners with a new Home Warranty insurance scheme.
The scheme allows property owners to make claims sooner for incomplete, defective, faulty or non-compliant work, even if the builder is still trading.
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