QBCC in the firing line over $300,000 granny flat construction disaster

A Caboolture couple have taken aim at the building regulator after their parents spent $300,000 on a granny flat and other work in their backyard which was found to have multiple defects.

Ian and Emily Moore in front of her parents granny flat they had spent $300,000 in building.

The retirement plans of a couple who spent almost $300,000 on a granny flat and other work in their daughter’s backyard are in disarray, with claims that the Queensland construction regulator has failed to protect them.

Emily Moore said her parents Tony and Deb Jurott sold their Bray Park house with the aim to spend their retirement years with her in acreage at Caboolture, north of Brisbane.

They hired builder Craig Jack from Leverage Projects – which has since gone into creditors voluntary liquidation – to knock down a shed leaving enough room to park their cars and have a workshop, while building a new granny flat at the rear. Mr Jack could not be contacted.

According to a Queensland Building and Construction Commission initial inspection report in April 2024 contracts were signed in February 2021 but work ceased two years later.

The report identified 28 defects which required rectification by the principal contractor.

In recent communication the QBCC said they only partially accepted the defect claims by the Moores. The regulator told them they were welcome to go to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

The QBCC said it could not direct Leverage Projects to rectify any of the identified defects because the company had gone into liquidation. The building regulator had contacted the liquidator and told them that work by a licensed contractor was required to fix the problems.

The report identified 28 defects in the garage and shed, and inside and outside the main building which required rectification by the principal contractor.

A QBCC report found there were up to 28 defects found in the construction.

Ms Moore said the situation had affected her parents’ health.

“My parents are living in the granny flat but it’s very poorly built. It’s not even handyman standard, let alone builder standard,” Ms Moore said.

“There is virtually nothing good about it. They’ve spent almost $300,000 and don’t really have a house. The pressure on my parents has been huge. My mum has quite a few chronic health problems and we got a letter from her GP saying that it had drastically impacted her health. with the stress.”

Ms Moore, a mother of two young children, claimed Mr Jack refused to correct or neglected to remove defective work or materials, and failed to reach practical completion and they terminated the contract.

A search of the QBCC’s public licence register shows Leverage Projects has not held an active licence since January 2024 when the construction watchdog suspended it due to an unpaid annual licence fee.

The register also shows that both the company licence and the personal licence of Mr Jack who was the director and secretary of Leverage Projects, were cancelled and excluded by the QBCC for a period of three years after liquidators were appointed.

The wall of the granny flat.

However, Ms Moore said she made a formal complaint to the QBCC in relation to the handling of her parents’ case over what she said was “absolutely abysmal” service they have received and that the regulator had “no idea” about the situation or basic details about the granny flat.

A QBCC spokesman said the regulator operates under strict confidentiality obligations and was therefore unable to provide details about any individual case that is not publicly available.

“Homeowners in Queensland who are affected by the liquidation of Leverage Projects will be able to seek assistance,” he said.

“The QBCC administers the nation’s most accessible home warranty scheme, the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme, which can help eligible owners to complete their homes or rectify defective building work.

“The QBCC acknowledges there’s more work to be done to become truly customer-focused, which is why the organisation, under the leadership of a new CEO and Commissioner, is making practical, commonsense changes to improve trust, support productivity and reduce red tape.”

Originally published as QBCC in the firing line over $300,000 granny flat construction disaster