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A former building company director recruited men to intimidate and threaten clients to pay up.
Talbot James Le Page used to head up Turquoise Development Pty Ltd, and he has been fined $40,000 in the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) for intimidating Perth clients.
He has also been ordered to pay $2,000 in costs and declared ineligible to be an officer of a building contractor for up to three years.
The SAT also ordered the cancellation of the building contractor registration for Turquoise.
In its decision, STA found the former director breached WA’s building registration laws when he engaged in “harsh, unconscionable and oppressive” conduct.
The tribunal heard evidence that in 2016, at least five men from Regal Corporate Solutions approached five clients, more than once.
The men were intimidating and threatening to the clients and demanded payment of money that was allegedly owed to Turquoise.
The men also showed up at the home of an independent adjudicator who oversaw a subcontract payment dispute that involved Mr Le Page.
The company went into liquidation in June 2017, but because of the severe nature of the allegations, Building and Energy sought disciplinary sanctions against Turquoise and the former director.
As a result, the Building Services Board has refused to renew Mr Le Page’s personal building contractor and practitioner registrations, claiming he is not a fit and proper person.
“This significant penalty reflects the seriousness of these incidents, which have caused great distress to the clients involved as well as their families and associates,” Building and Energy acting executive director Saj Abdoolakhan said.
“The conduct by these men, under Mr Le Page’s authority as found by the SAT, was deplorable. It simply has no place in the Western Australian building sector — or any other industry.
“This outcome sends a clear message that we will take action against building industry participants who act against the public interest and tarnish the integrity of the building sector.”
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