A woman who wanted to renovate her home to make it safe for her dementia-affected dad to move in is now $132,573 out of pocket after the builder went bankrupt.
Kerry Beake was awarded that sum following a two-year fight in the WA State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) for compensation because the work was either incomplete or of such poor quality that her father was never able to move in before he died.
However the builder has now been declared bankrupt so she will not receive any of that money.
‘I’d have more consumer protection if I bought a toaster from Aldi,’ Ms Beake told Daily Mail Australia.
She hired Perth builder Buildwise Solutions based in Byford and run by Peter John Edmonds, saying there was no means in WA to be made aware of serious complaints against builders.
‘We’re not stupid people, we were scammed because we trusted a person would do the job they were paid and qualified to do,’ she said.
‘In other professions people are stood aside if there’s a complaint but people in WA are at risk from cowboy builders, the system is not going to protect you.’
Mr Edmonds, 71, was fined $2,000 in Mandurah Magistrates Court this month after he pleaded guilty to doing construction on Ms Beake’s home in Mandurah without taking out mandatory home indemnity insurance that would have covered the SAT ordered sum.
Ms Beake had contracted him in 2020 to convert a shed to a granny flat, do safety upgrades on the bathroom and convert a carport to an office.
Kerry Beake hired Peter Edmonds of Buildwise Solutions to do renovations (pictured) on her home so her father who suffered dementia could move in to avoid going into aged care
Her father was never able to move in before he died as the proper building permits and insurance weren’t obtained and the work was of a sub-standard quality
But when she later discovered the work was botched, she was quoted $185,000 to fix it.
Mr Edmonds had charged Ms Beake for home indemnity insurance but never took a a policy out, so she cannot make a claim to get any of her money back as would usually be the case for a builder that goes into insolvency.
‘He did not get proper building permits or insurance. There were gaps in the wall and windows were removed where water was flooding onto the floors.
‘He quoted a 35-day job – which seemed excessive in the first place – but it was unfinished and he would stop communicating, we didn’t hear from him for months.
‘I found out later parts weren’t built to code.’
Ms Beake, 54, said she believes she won’t see a cent of the money she is owed – the total cost of the build was $152,250 – and is worried others could fall victim to similar situations.
‘I’m finding it hard to resign myself (to the fact) that there is no other way to pursue this.’
‘I probably look and sound ok, but I have a lot of trauma I’ve not been able to address or process because of all this… I haven’t been able to grieve the loss of my dad.’
Eventually her father went into aged care – the situation Ms Beake had been trying to avoid by renovating her home – and he passed away late last year.
Ms Beake has written to government ministers about the traumatic events, urging law changes to provide greater protections for consumers.
‘A penalty of $2,000 is insulting,’ she said.
Ms Beake (left) said water would flood into the granny flat through gaps left in the walls
The construction work was not done to code and needs to be ripped up and built again which she said she cannot afford
Other customers, staff and subcontractors have alleged they were also owed money from Buildwise Solutions.
The business’ website, which has now been taken down, described it as: ‘A team dedicated to listening to you and understanding your needs and you will be our highest priority throughout your journey with us.’
Mr Edmonds declared himself bankrupt on March 18 and bankruptcy trustee Giovanni Carrello said creditors were owed $433,425, according to The West Australian.
‘The bankrupt advised that the business ceased trading on or around 9 November 2023 as a result of a significant onsite accident,’ he stated in a report to creditors.
Mr Edwards said an injury disrupted his ability to continue trading.
‘The bankrupt is the joint borrower on a mortgage… secured against real property held in the name of the bankrupt’s spouse.
‘In 2022 he transferred a 2003 Harley Davidson with an estimated value of $15,000, and a 2013 Mercedes-Benz hatchback with an estimated value of $19,000 to his spouse.’
He has also run businesses under the names Enviro Housing Group and Alternate Living Homes.
Daily Mail Australia made attempts to contact Mr Edmonds.