Woman behind cost blowout of $120,000 on Croydon North renovation convicted and fined

PROJECT manager Michelle Hosking was convicted and fined at the Ringwood Magistrate’s Court last week for dodgy renovations in Croydon North.

Melbourne Courts. County Court, Victoria. Building.

A COST blow out of more than $120,000 for a home renovation in Croydon North wasn’t the only oversight by the project’s manager, Michelle Hosking, who last week pleaded guilty to 12 charges regarding her work on two renovations.

In Ringwood Magistrates’ Court last Monday, Hosking was convicted and fined more than $15,000 after managing renovations on two Croydon North homes without proper contracts, insurance, registration or permits.

Victorian Building Authority prosecutor Cheryl Lewis said Hosking, who was not a registered builder, had left behind a trail of illegal activity including drafting three page contracts which failed to meet building requirements.

Ms Lewis told the court that one of the homeowners ultimately paid $124,000 more than the contract price for renovations and said there had been numerous “cost blow outs” associated with the projects.

“This is quite a serious one,” she told Magistrate Simon Garnett.

Ms Lewis said the deposits paid by the consumers for the work far exceeded the maximum allowance of 5 per cent, while Hosking also did not take out the required builders warranty insurance.

Maroondah City Council ordered a stop work at one site after it was discovered Hosking had not acquired permits for the renovations. The permits were eventually granted six months after work had started.

The court was told Hosking had only undertaken commercial office fits outs prior to her work on the two houses.

Work on both houses was ultimately completed.

Hosking’s defence counsel told the court the offences arose out of “ignorance and carelessness” but the jobs had seemed like a “pretty good opportunity” to Hosking.

He described how there had been a “backlash in the community” against Hosking, with the families who hired her for the work now orchestrating a “campaign against her”.

Magistrate Garnett imposed a fine of $15,000 for the offences, plus court costs. He described Hosking’s offending as a “blatant breach” of rules and regulations which were designed to protect people.