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A tradie has been convicted for illegally demolishing three houses in Noble Park and Springvale.
Badaoui Fares, 46, purported to be a registered demolisher when he was hired to demolish two houses in Springvale in 2013, Dandenong Magistrates’ Court heard.
He instead applied for building permits by forging the property owner’s signature and using the name and business details of a registered building demolisher he’d worked with.
Fares was ineligible from obtaining building insurance due to being unregistered.
He also pleaded guilty to demolishing a house without a permit in Noble Park in 2017.
Fares argued in court that he was working as a subcontractor for the registered demolisher, and didn’t need to be registered or to have insurance.
Magistrate Leonard Brear found Fares guilty of all seven charges.
Fares acted against the community interest in a very serious way, Mr Brear said.
Fares had been previously convicted in 2010 for similar offending, resulting in a $10,000 fine with costs for one of the illegal demolitions.
His employer company was fined $8000 plus costs for the other illegal demolition.
Fares seemed to consider fines as “an occupational cost of doing illegal business”, Mr Brear said.
Fares was convicted and fined $95,000 with costs.
Victorian Building Authority acting operations executive director Darryl O’Brien said Fares showed “complete disregard” for the strict building regulatory system.
“His actions are fraudulent and unacceptable.
“The Victorian Building Authority will not stand by and allow people such as Mr Fares place the reputation of Victoria’s building industry at risk.”
