BPC PROSECUTES OFFICER MAN OVER DANGEROUS BUILDING AND PLUMBING WORK AT BELGRAVE HOME

The Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) has successfully prosecuted Joshua Mionnet, a 33-year-old from Officer, over an illegal and dangerous renovation that left a single mother of three financially and emotionally devastated. Mionnet was convicted and fined $70,000 after being found guilty of four charges relating to unregistered building and plumbing work carried out at a home in Belgrave. The offences included carrying out building and plumbing work without the required accreditation, carrying out building work without a permit, and carrying out building work without the required domestic building insurance (DBI).

How the Job Began

Mionnet, who operated as a sole trader under the business name Constructed Building Group, responded to the homeowner’s Facebook post about work required on a carport and pergola at her Belgrave home. He quoted $35,000 for the job and told the homeowner that a building permit was not required. Mionnet then demanded a 50 per cent deposit, which is well in excess of the legal maximum of five per cent under Victorian law. He continually asked for progress payments throughout the project and added extra charges that were not included in the original quote.

Defective and Dangerous Work Uncovered

In total, the homeowner handed over $43,000 before paying for an independent inspection report, which revealed the incomplete work was defective. The Yarra Ranges Council also inspected the site and confirmed that the decking was dangerous and should not be used. The homeowner asked Mionnet for a refund and attempted mediation, but she never heard from him again.

VCAT Order Remains Unpaid

The homeowner subsequently took Mionnet to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), where he was ordered to pay $55,000 in damages. To date, that amount has never been paid. The Dandenong Magistrates’ Court heard the full extent of Mionnet’s conduct and the financial toll it took on the homeowner, who was left significantly out of pocket and dealing with a property that required further remediation.

Court Ruling and Penalty

In handing down the $70,000 fine, the court made clear that Mionnet’s offending was very serious and required a substantial penalty as both a punishment and a deterrent. BPC Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer Anna Cronin stated that the court outcome should serve as a warning to those who illegally build and put consumers at risk. She added that the BPC is working hard to hold unregistered builders to account, but emphasised that the best way to stop them is not to hire them in the first place.