A notorious fraudster has received his comeuppance more than eight years after ripping off a Geelong resident.
The Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) has successfully prosecuted unregistered builder Jared Milic, who a conviction and more than $77,000 in fines after being found guilty of charges relating to work done at two sites.
Mr Milic had been actively avoiding authorities since he was ordered by VCAT to pay more than $26,000 to the Geelong homeowner in 2017, but was arrested after being pulled over by Victoria Police for speeding near Portland in June last year.
The court heard Mr Milic had entered into a contract with the homeowner to partially demolish and remove a house in Brunswick and relocate it to a North Geelong site, which always requires a permit and other specific requirements.
However, once the client realised Mr Milic was unregistered, uninsured and had failed to obtain a permit for either site, he terminated the contract.
The homeowner took the matter to VCAT, which ordered Mr Milic to pay more than $26,000 in damages.
Mr Milic breached bail conditions multiple times by not turning up to court for hearings regarding six offences under the Building Act and Domestic Building Contracts Act and to date has not paid any of the damages to the homeowner.
Magistrate Brett Sonnett described Mr Milic’s offences as “grave in nature” and at the “highest end of the spectrum”.
BPC commissioner and chief executive Anna Cronin said the conviction sent a “strong message to those who continue to work illegally”.
“There’s a new smarter regulator in town doing everything we can to stop you,” she said.
“Building or renovating a home is a huge investment and consumers need to make sure they are protected by ensuring they hire registered builders.”
“Our new powers coming into effect later this year will significantly improve consumer protection but they will only be effective in getting your building fixed if your builder is registered.”
The BPC reminded consumers to always use a registered builder and a registered or licensed plumber. Visit vba.vic.gov.au/tools/find-practitioner to check if your builder or plumber is registered.
