A builder from Halifax was fined £25,000 and acquired two suspended jail sentences after leaving a part of a roof lacking throughout a loft conversion.
Ahsan Ul Haq left two houses in Ashton in Manchester in a poor state, Minshull Road Crown Courtroom heard.
The case highlights the risks offered by cowboy builders to homebuilders and renovators.
What work was the builder meant to do?
Ul Haq, buying and selling as Your Dwelling Our Delight Constructing Providers, was contracted to hold out the loft conversion and a basement conversion at one other property.
After taking builder quotes, he failed to complete the work he was paid for and left each Ashton houses in a poor state – one of many properties was left so uninhabitable that the home-owner and her household had been compelled to maneuver out and stick with relations.
The court docket heard the actions of Mr Ul Haq have had an enormous emotional and monetary affect on each households, who’re associated to one another.
One of many households might solely return to their house after 16 months because of delays in getting one other builder to make it liveable and full the work, and the house owners of the opposite property have to this point been unable to have work on their basement conversion accomplished.
Carry your dream house to life with professional recommendation, methods to guides and design inspiration. Join our publication and get two free tickets to a Homebuilding & Renovating Present close to you.
Builder left roof unfinished and left the nation
Ul Haq then failed to reply to requests from the victims to rectify and full the work and left the nation, in doing so breaking all contact with the victims.
Following complaints by the victims to the Residents Recommendation Shopper Helpline in July 2021, an investigation was carried out by Tameside Council’s Buying and selling Requirements officers, supported by Tameside Council’s Constructing Management group.
Builder fined £25k and given two suspended sentences
Mr Ul Haq was sentenced to 2 consecutive suspended jail sentences of eight months every and was ordered to pay £7000 in compensation to the victims inside 28 days and an additional £750 every month for the subsequent two years, totalling £25,000.
Out of this quantity, £13,510 and £9250 will go to the victims respectively and the remaining £2,240 in direction of prosecution prices.
The Decide mentioned there was little question that the defendant’s actions had met the edge for a custodial sentence, as a result of monetary and emotional hurt suffered by the victims and their households.
Nonetheless, she mentioned she made the choice to droop the sentences on the premise that the defendant had proven regret for his actions and a need the compensate the victims as a lot as he can. She additionally took into consideration the affect that his instant imprisonment would have on his mom and spouse – the defence offered proof that he acts as a carer for each because of sickness.
Tameside Council Assistant Government Member Cllr Vincent Ricci mentioned: “Our buying and selling requirements group intention to guard shoppers and assist legit companies by making certain companies commerce pretty, safely and legally.”