John Limone ordered to pay almost $100,000 in fines and compensation for dodgy, unfinished work
A landscaper has lost his licence and been ordered to pay nearly $100,000 over dodgy work – and jobs he never started.
North & North East
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A Newton landscaper has been hit with almost $100,000 in penalties and had his licence cancelled after completing poor standards of work – if the work started at all.
Consumer and Business Affairs has prosecuted 54-year-old John Limone, who solicited work under the business name All Type Landscaping & Gardening, for unlicensed building work.
Over the course of a year, Limone accepted jobs and thousands of dollars from seven clients for work that was not started, not completed or completed to poor standards.
In one instance, he invoiced a customer for materials he falsely represented would be supplied by Stratco, however the materials used on the fence appeared to be substandard.
In a separate instance, Limone received a $11,000 deposit to remove a brush fence and replace it with a Colorbond fence along with paving work and other landscaping.
The works completed at the property, however, amounted to the removal of the existing fence and various minor and unwanted works before Limone ceased contact with the customer.
Limone held a licence that permitted him to carry out fencing work excluding brick brush, pool fencing and general repairs, which has now been cancelled.
His licence did not permit paving and constructing retaining walls, jobs he accepted through his clients.
Commissioner for Consumer Affairs Dini Soulio said called Limone’s offending “of great concern” and cancelled his licence.
“This individual sought to deceive consumers and take their money for work that – in the rare instance it was completed – was substandard,” Mr Soulio said.
“This should send a clear message to those operators who try to buck the system that Consumer and Business Services will thoroughly investigate complaints and take action where appropriate.”
Across two separate prosecutions Limone had been fined $48,750 and ordered to repay the seven consumers a total of $54,683.68.
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