PHOTO: FILE IMAGE
A builder, known as Kheng Sun or Kevin, who was responsible for a $140,000 construction mishap during a house project, has dissolved his company and left the country. This has left creditors with a total loss of $340,000.
Sun had his building license revoked due to two complaints regarding errors in projects he was involved in, both as a worker and supervisor. One property owner complained to the Taupō District Council, stating that it seemed as though work was done to show progress without adhering to the actual construction plans for the house.
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Among the defects found in the Waikato property was the construction of a trapezoid-shaped structure with walls that were 200 millimeters wider at the top than at the bottom, rendering the roof incompatible. Consequently, the house had to be dismantled and rebuilt under the guidance of an engineer and two other builders, incurring a cost of approximately $140,000 for the homeowner.
The homeowner reported Sun’s work to the council, leading to a referral to the Building Practitioners Board. However, Sun did not attend his hearing before the board and instead provided a written response. In his response, he claimed that the homeowner had rushed him, and the construction should not have taken place during the winter. He also alleged that the homeowner had seen the out-of-plumb walls and approved them with the words, “Just put it up, it’s fine.”
The Building Practitioners Board publicly released its decision in August, canceling Sun’s building license. The decision noted that Sun had placed his company, K Sun Construction, into liquidation and left New Zealand before the matter was resolved.
The council’s complaint to the board highlighted multiple issues with the property that were corroborated by inspection records. These records noted that floor joists were not properly connected to walls and did not support the upper floor. One inspection described the building area as displaying evidence of poor workmanship and a lack of supervision by the licensed building practitioner, with frames out of plumb and not securely attached to adjoining walls.
The homeowner’s complaint to the council also alleged that Sun had deviated from the building plans, resulting in the walls not being square and necessitating a partial teardown of the house.
The insolvency report on the Companies Office website revealed that Sun owed creditors a total of $350,000, with liquidators only able to recover $11,000 by selling off assets.
In a statement to the board, Sun claimed that he had not encountered problems on other sites and attributed the issues to the homeowner’s rushed approach and a lack of oversight. Nevertheless, the board canceled his building license and barred him from reapplying for 18 months, citing that his conduct had fallen far below acceptable standards.
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A second decision from the board, related to a house in Manawatū, was also released, finding Sun guilty of negligence and incompetence based on a complaint from the homeowner. The complainant cited various issues with the construction, including incorrect dimensions, chipped concrete floors, and uncovered frames left exposed for extended periods.
In response to the second complaint, Sun shifted blame onto a fired employee. The board, in canceling Sun’s license again, considered his conduct to be serious and criticized his failure to take responsibility, his tendency to blame others under his supervision, and his lack of response to the issues during the board’s investigations. Sun was unavailable for comment.
SOURCE: RNZ