Collapse of tiny homes firm Technopods causes big headaches for customers

A Queensland building company specialising in tiny homes has gone bust leaving a string of angry customers behind and estimated debts of $1m.

TINY TROUBLE

A Gold Coast building company specialising in tiny homes has gone bust leaving a string of angry customers behind and estimated debts of $1m.

Liquidators have been appointed to Amphibia Engineering, which traded as Technopods, after earlier this year applying for the Federal Government’s temporary debt relief.

Amphibia, whose directors are husband and wife team Jason and Kerry Caruana, specialised in custom built “tiny homes for use on land, water and wheels.”

But about 20 Technopod clients, who paid between $15,000 and $81,000, complain they either never received their homes or what they were promised.

Suppliers and contractors also have been burnt in the Amphibia collapse, including iconic Brett’s Timber and Hardware that worked on several homes for the company.

Victorian mum Katrina Pritchett says she paid almost $20,000 for her tiny home to be built and shipped to the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne. “At no stage were we told there was any problem,” says Pritchett. After lengthy delivery delays, she finally tracked her home down to contractor Bretts who had not received any of the money she had paid to Technopods.

“I needed the home to be delivered because the lease was running out on my rental property and we could have been homeless,” she said. Her home was finally delivered in February after she managed to purchase it directly from Brett’s at trade prices.

Jason Caruana, a 39-year-old British-born architect, told customers earlier this year that the company had no choice but to enter the debt restructuring program. He said his goal was to get all grievances remedied, complete current commitments and “then see where we fall.”

“We very much understand the significant impact of these matters on many of you and are deeply sorry for this,” Caruana said. “It is now apparent that we will need to work closely with you all so that we can make sure we can address these challenges.”

Technopods on the Gold Coast specialised in tiny homes.

Sunshine Coast resident Ziggy Smith says she paid $81,000 for her tiny home only to have it arrive partially completed last July. “It was unpainted, with no toilet or hot water connection and no doors on the cupboards,” says Ms Smith.

She says she did months of research into tiny home builders before deciding on Technopods. “The only thing I should not have done was to pay all the money upfront,” she says. “We are all in the same boat - I know people who have lost $50,000.”

Property records show Jason and Kerry Caruana own a four-bedroom home on Hope Island that they bought for $685,000 in December 2019. In July last year, the couple set up a company called Technopods Mullumbimby, based at their Hope Island address.

Liquidator Glenn O’Kearney could not provide details of what the company owed its creditors as he had just been appointed. Mr and Mrs Caruana were not available for comment.

CRICKET MAGIC

The Wrigley clan love cricket so much they bought a whole team. Tamara and Peter Wrigley are the proud owners of the Moreton Magic, a team that is set to compete in the new Brisbane Premier League (BPL) later this year.

Bankrolled by a consortium that includes cricket legend Ian Healy and commentator Mark Nicholas, the BPL is touted as a breeding ground for future international talent and will include both junior and senior teams.

The Twenty-20 competition featuring eight privately-owned teams will kick off in August following an auction of players next month at the Gabba. Unlike the more famous Indian Premier League, the auction will only involve ‘fantasy money’ which will be used by team owners to ‘purchase’ their favourite players.

Cricket family Tamara, Peter and Mikaya Wrigley

Tamara tells your diarist that the aim of the BPL is to give both junior and senior players the experience of taking part in a competition operating on professional lines.

Tamara definitely has some skin in the game with her daughter Mikayla representing both Queensland and Australia as a wicketkeeper in the under 18s.

Tamara and Peter, who own First National Real Estate Carolans in Nambour, declined to say how much their three-year ownership deal for Moreton Magic involved, but it is believed to be in the six figures. Healy has already put his money where his mouth is by buying the Northern Kings franchise. Other teams in the Brisbane league include the Western Power, Bayside Pirates, Darling Dingoes and the Gold Coast Waveriders.

BPL will be the first competition to kick off as part of the Australian Premier League which also is keen to tap into the Sydney and Melbourne markets.