Keysborough trader fined

A KEYSBOROUGH man is among the latest traders to be slapped with fines for breaching the Fair Trading Act.
State Consumer Affairs Minister Marsha Thomson said Dandenong Magistrates’ Court ordered unregistered builder Gordon Rowles to pay a $900 fine and $100 in costs after failing to finish a fence for a customer.
“Mr Rowles quoted $7800 to build the fence and carport for the Bentleigh consumer despite being unregistered,” Ms Thomson said.
“He did not use the proper contract and charged an excessive deposit.”
In another case, a Frankston man copped a $3300 fine after building a “shoddy” roof for a customer.
Joseph Yelding traded under the name Diamond Coat Roofing, Ms Thomson said, and carried out works to the value of $1600 on a customer’s roof, guttering and downpipes.
She said Mr Yelding told the customer he was qualified for the work, but the court found he was not registered as either a plumber or gasfitter and had been trading under an unregistered business name.
Ms Thomson said the two cases brought the number of successful prosecutions against builders to 34 during the 2005-06 financial year.
“Victoria’s courts imposed around $235,000 in fines and more than $60,000 is to be paid in compensation to consumers,” she said.