Bespoke Development at centre of new investor anger and accusations it has abandoned a Highbury development
A builder denies his company has “abandoned” a development site in Adelaide’s north east leaving properties at the mercy of vandals.
North & North East
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A builder has denied abandoning a development site in Adelaide’s north east, taking more than $600,000 from investors and leaving unfinished houses at the mercy of vandals.
A skip bin filled to overflowing, building debris scattered across weed-infested yards has also angered neighbours who have complained to Tea Tree Gully Council about the Bespoke Development building site at Highbury.
The investors of the development have spoken out against Bespoke Development after the Sunday Mail revealed the company has failed to pay suppliers and left a young family with an incomplete house at Seaview Downs.
But Bespoke Development’s director Jayce Richardson denied the company had abandoned the Highbury project.
He said they had been paid in line with the building contract.
Jin Lim and his business partner hired Bespoke Development about two years ago to build three investment properties on the Highbury block they own freehold.
He said the properties were supposed to be finished in May this year but remain incomplete despite he and his co-investors handing over $627,550 of a $697,500 build cost.
When the Advertiser visited the properties, one of the houses was unsecured, internal walls had been damaged, there were gaps in walls and exposed timber frames appared to be water damaged.
Mr Lim said work stopped in February and that Bespoke had effectively “abandoned” the project.
He said he last spoke to Bespoke Development director Jayce Richardson in March and that Mr Richardson told him he was trying to sell his business.
Mr Lim said Mr Richardson has since failed to return calls or emails.
“We just want him to claim bankruptcy so we can claim on insurance …,” he said.
“We obviously have concerns about the quality of the buildings and vandalism but won’t know until we get inspections done.
“We trusted Bespoke to do the work.”
He said they were considering suing for losses.
Mr Lim and it could cost a further $400,000 to finish the houses, which could involve starting the project all over again, depending on the outcome of the building inspection.
Mr Richardson defended his company’s actions.
“The money received to date is in line with the progress payment schedule in the building contract signed off by both the client and the bank,” he said in an emailed statement.
“We certainly have not abandoned this client. There have been multiple phone calls and we have had meetings on site with this client and other builders to help them move forward with their project.”
He said the company was open to discussing a settlement to terminate the contracts with Mr Lim and his co-investor.
“Further to that we received a letter from their lawyers approximately 4-6 weeks ago stating that if the project was not completed within 14 days they would exercise their right to cancel the building contracts,” he said.
Tea Tree Gully Council wrote to Mr Lim requesting that the property be tidied up by September 1 after neighbours complained of rubbish blowing down the street.