By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Home builder Porter Davis’s collapse has embroiled 21 home owners in Greater Dandenong, according to council records.
A City of Greater Dandenong officer said the council had contacted the affected customers, advising them of their “potential rights and avenues to help”.
They were advised to contact their registered building surveyor.
“It’s definitely a difficult time for those property owners.”
Cr Tim Dark said several town planning applications for “knock-down rebuilds” had engaged Porter Davis in Keysborough Ward.
“The good thing is the council has identified all of the 21 properties and reached out to the owners.”
Customers were plunged into turmoil when Porter Davis went bust, leaving more than 1500 unfinished homes in Victoria.
There were a further 779 signed contracts with customers in which building had not started.
Grant Thornton Australia was appointed as the liquidators of 14 Porter Davis companies on 31 March.
With 470 employees, Porter Davis had forecast $555 million in revenue for the 2023 financial year but there was “no option” but to liquidate, it stated.
“The extremely challenging environment for residential home building has directly contributed to the PDH Group’s financial position, with rising input costs, supply chain delays, labour shortages, and a drop in demand for new homes in 2023 impacting the Group’s liquidity,” a Grant Thornton spokesperson said.
The State Government recently announced one-off compensation for Porter Davis customers who signed their contracts and paid their deposits, but where Porter Davis did not take out Domestic Building Insurance (DBI), in breach of its obligations.
