A Maidstone man who posed as a registered building surveyor has been convicted and ordered to pay $60,000 plus $20,000 in costs following one of the most complex investigations in the history of the Victorian Building Authority (VBA).
Khanh Ho pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates Court to 16 charges across nine building sites over three years between 2019 and 2021.
The 49-year-old pretended to be a building surveyor and a building inspector at multiple locations across the nort- western suburbs and at the South Melbourne Market despite not being registered.
Ho forged documents, duped customers into handing over money, and signed off on worthless building and occupancy permits for residential and commercial properties.
The court heard Ho was previously registered as a builder surveyor but his registration was cancelled in 2010 amid an investigation into serious financial misconduct.
Ho pocketed $30,000 for work performed while posing as a building surveyor on sites at Footscray, Altona North, Newport, St Albans, Hoppers Crossing, Laverton, Thornbury and South Melbourne.
In sentencing, Magistrate Meghan Hoare said Ho’s actions were a “grave concern” and a “flagrant attack” on building regulation’s fundamental objective to protect the community.
She said purchasers and occupiers of buildings must be able to have trust and confidence in the regulation system.
Building surveying is a regulated profession in Victoria and must be carried out by qualified professionals registered with the VBA.
Building surveyors play a key role in the regulatory system by protecting consumers and ensuring all buildings are safe and compliant.
They issue building permits and conduct mandatory inspections to ensure projects are following the agreed permit and meet all regulations, codes and standards.
VBA chief executive and commissioner Anna Cronin said the conviction of Ho sent a strong message to other unregistered practitioners that the authority was coming after them.
“Conduct like this undermines confidence in the building industry and those who engage in it should expect serious consequences,” Ms Cronin said.
“Consumers should always ensure the building surveyors and builders they hire are registered.”
To check the registration of builders and building surveyors, visit: https://www.vba.vic.gov.au/tools/find-practitioner
