'Everything is gone': Man's home dream shattered

A TOOWOOMBA health worker’s dream family home has been left unfinished, after the company contracted to build the property collapsed.

A TOOWOOMBA health worker’s dream family home has been left unfinished, after the company contracted to build the property collapsed. FILE PICTURE OF GENERIC HOME DEVELOPMENT

A TOOWOOMBA health worker's dream family home has been left unfinished, after the company contracted to build the property collapsed.

Satnam Singh and his wife Inderpreet Kaur engaged Zaria Group of Companies Pty Ltd, which also traded as Zaria Constructions, to build the Kearneys Spring home last year.

Mr Singh lived in Chinchilla at the time and initially the build progressed according to plan.

He said he received regular updates and paid instalments on the $350,000 project as required.

"The builder was supposed to hand over the house before Christmas," Mr Singh said.

"He told us he was running late and said he would hand over on January 21 but he never showed up."

Mr Singh said the builder went to ground and did not return any phone calls or emails.

Within a few weeks, Mr Singh said he met a raft of Zaria Group of Companies subcontractors and workers owed money.

"The cabinet maker, electrician and plumber did not get paid and our engineer will not do the final certificates, because he did not get paid either," Mr Singh said.

The Queensland Building and Construction Commission licence for Zaria Group of Companies was suspended on March 4, and the company was placed into liquidation on March 18.

An initial notice from liquidator, B & T Advisory's Travis Pullen, revealed creditors were owed nearly $300,000.

The documents listed Achin Bedi as the company's sole director.

Mr Singh said the ordeal left him and his family feeling demoralised and stressed.

"That was all my life savings in that house and now everything is gone," he said.

"We were expecting to move in, but now we are stuck with a mortgage and we have to pay rent."

Mr Singh works in the Vincent's Private Hospital ICU and has been forced to take a second job at the Toowoomba Hospital ICU to make ends meet.

The stress is compounded by the COVID-19 outbreak.

"It is affecting us mentally a lot," Mr Singh said.

"We are going through a lot of stress and we are in uncharted territory.

"We want to get an outcome but there is no outcome in sight."

Since liquidators were appointed, the family has lodged a claim under the QBCC Home Warranty Scheme.

If approved, the regulator will pay to finish the build and supply contactors for the work.

"It is a very slow process and could take up to 15 weeks," Mr Singh said.

"There is not much we can do other than wait to for the QBCC to assess the claim."

Originally published as 'Everything is gone': Man's home dream shattered