Kerikeri builder fined for false claims of licences

It is an offence under the Building Act 2004 for a person to claim to be licensed or carry out or supervise restricted building work while not licensed.

A Kerikeri man has been prosecuted in Kaikohe District Court for falsely claiming he was a Licensed Building Practitioner and a member of the Roofing Association of New Zealand.

Aaron Connelly, sole director and shareholder of Connelly Roofing Limited, had never been affiliated with either industry group.

Court action was brought against him by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's (MBIE) occupational licensing team after he carried out extensive roofing work on a residential home.

"Before the roofing work was undertaken, Mr Connelly provided the homeowner with his business card which displayed the LBP and RANZ logos," MBIE investigations team leader Simon Thomas said.

It is an offence under the Building Act 2004 for a person to claim to be licensed or carry out or supervise restricted building work while not licensed.

Soon after Connelly did the roof work on the home, a leak was noticed. Connelly returned to fix it but the leak persisted.

Despite the homeowner's efforts to contact Connelly several times, they had no reply.

The owner searched the LBP public register and found Connelly was not a licensed builder.

A qualified roofer was called in to inspect the work and found it below standard.

Connelly pleaded guilty for falsely claiming he was an LBP and was fined $2500.

"This is a clear message to the building industry. Claiming to be a licensed building practitioner without holding such a licence is illegal, and where MBIE has evidence of this, offenders can expect to be prosecuted," Thomas said.