The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) has prosecuted Mohammad Ali Eshlan and Mojo Roofing Pty Ltd who were found guilty of six offences under the Building Act.

The 32-year-old failed to appear at the Heidelberg Magistrates Court and was convicted and ordered to pay $60,000 after acting as a registered and licensed plumber.

Mohammad did plumbing work in Whittlesea between May and July 2022 despite not being licensed or qualified and without being covered by the required insurance.

The court heard the home owner hired Mohammad after he told her he was registered with the VBA, had several years of experience and would issue a compliance certificate after completing the job. The home owner paid Mohammad a deposit of $18,500 after he quoted $27,000 to replace her tiled roof with a metal one.

When the work started, the home owner noticed issues and had an independent inspection that confirmed her worries and found major defects.

Mohammad refused to fix the defects and never returned to the worksite while the home owner was forced to use another plumber to fix the major defects leaving her $30,000 out of pocket.

In the home owners victim impact statement, she described the emotional and physical stress Mohammad put on her and her family. She installed CCTV cameras around the house in fear for her safety after Mohammad became verbally aggressive when she refused to give the remaining money for the defective work.

The VBA has found 34 unregistered workers across 1,292 building sites in metro Melbourne and regional Victoria. More than 200 tips went through the VBA’s online tip off form with more than 50% warranting further investigation.

“This is a heartbreaking example of how wrong things can go when hiring unregistered plumbers or builders,” VBA commissioner and chief executive Anna Cronin says.

“It’s essential consumers check a practitioner’s credentials on the VBA website and make sure you receive a compliance certificate once the work is completed.