Tradies ‘peeved’ as another builder goes bust
THE Ipswich franchisee of building giant GJ Gardner is being wound up in the latest bad news for subbies owed thousands of dollars by the firm.
Tradies are owed more than $200,000 after G.J. Gardner Homes at North Ipswich was put into liquidation, according to the Queensland Times.
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Liquidators Worrells were appointed to TP Enterprises Aotearoa, trading as GJ Gardner Homes Ipswich, on Wednesday.
G.J. Ipswich’s customers and contractors were informed last week of the development.
The businesses operates under the banner of the 35-year-old GJ Gardner Homes company, which has turn over in excess of $1 billion and operates in the US and New Zealand.
TP Enterprises Aotearoa director Pieter Burghout operates the business with partner Te Amo and claims more than 25 years’ experience in the building industry. Mr Burghout was not available for comment this morning.
Design-All Cabinets owner Richard Jones, who is owed about $80,000 by the company, said it was not the first time he had been burnt in a building company collapse.
Mr Jones said he is still owed about $40,000 by Bloomer Constructions, a Brisbane building company that went under about two years ago.
“I’m a bit peeved,” he said.
“(They were taking) payments for fix out claims and we weren’t seeing any money.”
Mr Jones estimates he finished up to 30 homes for G.J. Gardner last year.
Now he is not sure whether the business will survive.
“I don’t even know if I’ll scrape through yet,” he said.
“We are just trying to move along, steady as she goes. “I am out ready to walk away.
“It’s the way the industry is set up — you only have a 50/50 chance of getting paid.”
Mr Jones said electricians and plumbers were owed money, and believed a concreter was owed about $160,000.
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