“We have building materials in the shape of a house. We are completely f—ed. Our $800,000 house is not worth $1,” Mr Owen said.
They are one of several ANSA customers who have been battling with the company to get promised work completed. Nine affected customers and a developer have joined a WhatsApp group to share information and experiences.
Another customer of ANSA Homes who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal provided rectification orders issued by a Building Commission inspector which they allege had not been complied with.
Mark Maloney denied he had misled clients. Accepting build times “have been longer than expected”, Maloney indicated these delays were endemic to the industry, rather than afflicting just his firm.
“To the extent possible, we endeavoured to ease the burden on clients where construction times were longer than anticipated, particularly if they were experiencing financial difficulty,” he said.
“Like all building businesses, we were not immune to the industry-wide supply chain and labour constraints. These challenges have presented an ongoing challenge.”
He said ANSA was aware the Building Commission had inspected the Owens’ property.
“We were not invited to the inspection and there has not been a report provided to us with any results,” Maloney said. “We are unaware as to the accuracy of the purported 97 defects.
“We stand by these clients and our commitment to finalising their outstanding items.”
The investigation
Affected home owners received an email from a senior building inspector at the Building Commission on May 10.
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“Building Commission NSW has begun an investigation into ANSA Homes Pty Ltd,” the email said. “The investigation will be concentrating on the quality of work in existing dwellings and those currently under construction, as well as collecting evidence of unprofessional conduct.”
Last Friday, ANSA customers received another email from the Building Commission seeking detailed statements in relation to evidence of defects.
“Speak about lack of knowledge, turnover in staff, any unprofessional behaviour,” the June 21 email stated. “Details in the contract that the trader did not abide by Ie [sic] over time, different materials, colours, omitted items, over-charges.”
Fair Trading contacted one client and asked for an interview on Thursday. Building Commissioner David Chandler was contacted for comment.
“The investigation remains ongoing and Building Commission NSW cannot comment further at this time,” a commission spokesman said.
He declined to provide the number of complaints the Building Commission had received about ANSA, nor the rectification orders issued.
Building Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said: “The previous patchwork approach to building regulation has left a set of legacy challenges. We’ve been clear since the election that more building law reform is on its way and we’ve already started this process.”
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