A Ballan tradie who took thousands of dollars from customers for jobs he never completed has been convicted and fined $20,000 in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
Austin Bongart, 27, traded as Aussie’s Concrete and Fencing Solutions when he committed multiple offences between 2022 and 2024.
A Ballan tradie who took thousands of dollars for building work he never completed has been convicted, fined and ordered to repay his customers.
Between 2022 and 2024, Austin Bongart’s business, Aussie’s Concrete and Fencing Solutions, accepted over $30,000 in payments for seven unrelated building jobs. But little or no work was completed on the jobs, and customers experienced lengthy delays when seeking refunds.
In a sentencing appeal heard by the County Court of Victoria last week, Bongart was fined $9000 for failing to supply services, $4000 for accepting excessive deposits, and $2000 for entering a major domestic building contract while unregistered.
The court heard Bongart had made efforts to reimburse customers, but still owed about $13,400, which he has been ordered to repay.
Victorians planning building work or renovations should be wary of anyone who puts on pressure to sign a contract straight away, or pay a large deposit. Before signing a contract, people should:
- research the business and check their registration
- ask friends and family for recommendations
- get more than one written quote to compare the work and price.
Anyone carrying out building works valued at more than $10,000 must be registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC). Visit the BPC website to find a registered builder.
Learn more about how to plan a renovation or build.