Home Owners Warranty

What we really need to do (in NSW) is to copy the model for dealing with builders and homeowners by the Queensland BSA. Their system insures that licenced builders have assets to back them at least (not just a ute and a few power tools). In my experience their systems is at least equitable unlike the one sided system utilised by the Dept of Fair Trading (where the customer is always right- no matter what) or the Home Warranty Scheme which benefits no-one except the insurer, or the Building payments mediation for builders and suppliers which actually costs more to access than the actual claim is worth.

Both "sides" of the argument need to be consulted to create an equitable system that offers protection for the homeowner and the builder. The Buildercheck people have seen a need and are cashing in on it (good luck to them) but they are not solving any problems and can't guarantee that their info is correct (credit rating companies eg. Dunn & Bradstreet don't have a great record for sound record keeping or accuracy and woe betide the individual/company that tries to get them to correct their records as allowed under credit rating regulations)

Obviously I don't know what the answer to this is, but if everyone wrote to their state and federal MP at least we would get more visibility around this issue

Thanks for the PM mate.

These stories have introduced me to a couple of interesting issues, and people - builda being one of them

Burned, when HIH collapsed we nearly had that scenario however the Victorian Building Commission caved in to the private insurers and the HIA to create the 'last resort' system of home owners warranty.

Last resort means that you the consumer have to pursue ALL avenues before the insurer will payout and even then the builder has to be dead, dissapperaed or insolvent - as an absolute last resort you 'may' be able to make a claim.

The courts are littered with consumers that have tried to take the insuers on.

Many of us were urging the HIA to support the walk away by the insurers post HIH and could not understand why they refused to allow them to simply bugger off. We now know that they have made millions of dollars selling Home Owners Warranty through their retail company HOW Ltd.

Government will never legislate to shut down the industry, but if more and more consumers join forces and harrass the Government then they will change the legislation. There should not be one of these horror stories, unfortunately there are hundreds.

Burned, there is a media conference today that the public are welcome to attend. It will be hosted by a building owner whose family and extended family have been severly impacted upon by Home Owners Warranty...or the lack of it.

It will be held at 2:30pm on the Corner of Nott St and Bridge St Port Melbourne. The Leader of the opposition Ted Bailieu, Leader of the Nationals Peter Ryan an Phil Dwyer the National President of the Builders Collective of Australia will also be speaking.

The buiding site has featured on Today Tonight a couple of months ago when they were running their segment on the 5 biggest consumer ripoffs in Australia. Home Owners Warranty was one of them.

The Nationals have a clear policy to fix it, the Liberals also but we are hoping that they release their policy today. The Government really don't have a clue what to do as it appears more fiddling is going to be their only 'solution'.

As we know, they 'fiddled' with it 4 years ago and that is why this building site still remains derelict after the family has spent well over $100,000 on legal fees.

It is an election issue.

If you can make it along then would love to see you. I'll be there!!