Kameleon Homes owner fined for conduct

A now de-registered Perth-based builder has been fined $15,000 and ordered to pay $3,200 in costs after he was found to have engaged in deceptive conduct.

Jeffrey West, the sole trader of Kameleon Homes, was fined by the State Administrative Tribunal after his builders’ registration renewal was denied by the Building Commission in August last year.

The SAT found Mr West had engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct, negligent conduct and failed to comply with orders in connection to construction work at properties in Joondalup and Kelmscott between 2013 and 2016.

“Mr West was misleading or deceptive in that he knowingly provided a document to the SAT as evidence of some of the terms of the Joondalup contract when the document was in fact not part of that contract as formed and contained a forged signature,” the Building Commission said in a statement.

“He was negligent in that he demanded and received a deposit from the Kelmscott owners without first obtaining a policy of home indemnity insurance for the work.

“The owners were left $31,575 out of pocket and without access to HII when Mr West failed to commence the work on site.”

The Building Commission said Mr West had also failed to comply with an order of the SAT made in August 2015, which required him to pay the Joondalup owners $50,000 by October 2015.

Building commissioner Peter Gow said the case highlighted the importance of consumers not making any payments including deposits without being satisfied that a certificate of home indemnity insurance has been obtained by the builder.

“Mr West no longer holds a builder registration in Western Australia and is not entitled to contract for or carry out builder work valued at over $20,000,” Mr Gow said.

“Consumers should avoid engaging Mr West’s services for building work which requires a registration.”

Kameleon Homes attracted headlines last year after complaints by customers emerged on social media, with allegations of unfinished and unsatisfactory work making up the majority of the grievances.