Builder lands £13k bill for poor workmanship
A builder, whose workmanship was so poor that an extension he constructed at a Stourbridge property had to be demolished and rebuilt, has been prosecuted in a case brought by Dudley Council’s Trading Standards.
Andrew Fennell (55) of Monkhopton, Bridgnorth, who traded as Construct & Restore, pleaded guilty at Dudley Magistrates Court on 24 March to failing to demonstrate ‘professional diligence’.
The two-storey extension he built for a Stourbridge resident was found to be defective to such an extent that it had to be demolished and rebuilt by a new builder for an additional cost of £28,850 to the homeowner.
The court also heard how Fennel did not give the homeowner their rights of cancellation as required.
In mitigation, the Magistrates were told that this was a one off in his behaviour and that he’d used subcontractors to carry out the work who were unreliable. Following this, his relationship with the householder broke down and he was unable to put things right.
The court fined Fennell £550 and ordered to him pay a £55 victim surcharge plus compensation of £12,820 to the homeowner, with an additional £1,000 towards the cost of the prosecution.
Karen Wright, Director of Public Health & Wellbeing, said:
This prosecution sends out a clear message we will protect consumers from the activity of traders who flout the law and carry out substandard work.
This kind of activity causes a huge amount of distress to the victims who have worked hard and saved to pay for improvements to their homes and are then badly let down.
Dudley Trading Standards Fix a Home scheme offers a list of local approved traders who provide services of a high standard at a fair cost.