News & Views

An unlicensed builder from Guildford has been ordered by Parramatta Local Court to pay $75,775 in fines and costs as well as $14,700 consumer compensation.

Paul Logan, trading as Paul Logan Creations, was convicted of various Consumer Law and Home Building Act offences including unlicensed contracting of residential home building work and contracting without proper insurance as well as accepting payment without supplying goods and services in time.

Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said Mr Logan had previously used various aliases, dates of birth and trading names in his dealings with NSW consumers and under these aliases had an extensive history of non-compliance with consumer protection laws.

In 2014 Mr Logan responded to listings by consumers for a tradesperson to undertake a range of home building works and, although he had been refused a contractor licence by NSW Fair Trading in November 2011, entered into contracts with a number of consumers in Bondi Junction, North Bondi and Mona Vale.

He repeatedly took excess deposits from consumers, failed to commence work, failed to refund deposits and provided one consumer with details of a licence number that actually belonged to another trader and had already been cancelled.

In one case a consumer took her matter to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal resulting in an order for Mr Logan to pay her $6,600 on or before 23 October 2014. That order was not paid and is part of the compensation ordered by Parramatta Local Court.

Mr Logan was formerly known as Richard Younan as well as Rachid Younan and formally changed his name on 31 July 2009.

Richard Younan registered the business name of Richards Tile Services and used it between 8 December 1992 and 25 November 2001.

The Commissioner encouraged consumers to only deal with licensed traders for work requiring such authorisation and to check the licence and work history of any trader at www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au or by calling 13 32 20. 

“The maximum deposit permitted under the Home Building Act is ten percent of the contract price and consumers should refrain from paying traders further money until work has commenced,” he said.