New claims against Senator Day's building company

SBS World News Radio: More complaints have emerged about a building company owned by Family First Senator Bob Day.

New claims against Senator Day's building companyNew claims against Senator Day's building company

New claims against Senator Day's building company

It has been more than two years and the Naickers' dream home in northern Sydney remains incomplete.

Will Naicker and his wife Mairead signed a 40-week building contract with Huxley Homes - a New South Wales company owned by Family First Senator Bob Day - in July 2014.

115 weeks later, Mr Naicker says there have been long delays, defective work, and still no occupying certificate for the property.

"They're into their third year of construction, and I'm still waiting. Either they complete it or they give me a sum of money so I can complete the job. Let's keep it at that, that's what I want."

The Naickers paid in full, but say there is structural damage throughout the house.

They say the front door doesn't have handles, and there are serious gaps in the other doors and walls.

And they claim the skirting isn't finished and some amenities aren't connected, while building materials have been left in a messy state outside.

Will Naicker says he emailed Senator Day asking him if Huxley Homes was solvent and is awaiting a response.

"I've satisfied all the conditions of the contract. I've paid 100 per cent. Huxley Homes has not delivered 100 per cent."

The couple joins dozens of unhappy Huxley Homes customers who have made similar complaints.

They extend to Victorian sister company, Ashford Homes, where trades people - like those in New South Wales - say they wait months to get paid.

Both companies are part of Senator Bob Day's building business: Home Australia Group.

Bob Day is the Sole Director.

Former Ashford Homes supplier, Angela Ellis, says at one stage the Victorian company owed her business $300,000.

"Ashford had been with us for about four years, and there'd been a couple of times that they hadn't paid on time and we've put them on stop supply but then they paid up straight away to get more deliveries. Then in January this year we became very concerned because their account had gone over the $300,000 mark."

Ms Ellis claims she and her colleagues had to repeatedly asked Senator Day and his staff for repayment over a number of months before the amount was fully repaid.

Huxley Homes has not submitted its financial reports to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission for the past two financial years.

SBS has learned that it also failed to meet the rent on its headquarters in Sydney for several months, and is now paying off the arrears in instalments.

In a statement, Senator Day says he only stepped back in to the building business to help after "other's poor management decisions affected some customers and suppliers".

The statement goes on to say: "It is important to fix the problems and I am working to ensure everyone who is owed money is paid and every customer's home is finished - as the company has done for over 30 years. All businesses have problems."

Huxley Homes' licence is due for renewal next month, but state regulator Fair Trading has warned that may not happen.

Fair Trading has told SBS, "Huxley has several outstanding tribunal orders. If it has not complied with the orders, any renewal application must be refused."

 

 

 


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By Omar Dabbagh


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