Accused property boss had big plans

THE founder of a Gold Coast company accused of ripping off tiny-home buyers signed a $600,000 lease for a rural NSW property months before revealing his business was in financial distress.

Jason Caruana is a director and shareholder with wife Kerry Caruana of Amphibia Engineering, which traded as technoPODS and other names including WaterPODS.

On Friday they made a declaration of eligibility for temporary restructuring relief revealing the business is insolvent or about to be insolvent and giving them three months to restructure the company in order to pay its creditors.

Before that, Mr Caruana allegedly told eight staff that the company was to cease operating immediately and all jobs would be terminated.

The restructuring declaration followed allegations a dozen technoPODS clients paid between $15,000 and $25,000 in deposits for tiny homes that were not delivered.

One client said she had given Amphibia Engineering her life savings for the home.

The contractor that has built the homes – Bretts Hardware and Timber – confirmed to the Bulletin that it is holding 10 of the houses until payment is received from Amphibia Engineering.

The Bulletin can now reveal that in July Mr Caruana registered another company called Technopods Mullumbimby with Mrs Caruana as codirector.

Mr Caruana then signed a long-term, $600,000 lease with Matty and Mikaela Lee, the owners of a wellness retreat called The Hinterland Retreat near Mullumbimby.

A former Amphibia Engineering employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said Mr Caruana intended on running the resort and building an ecovillage of tiny homes on the 33ha property.

The employee said Mr Caruana raised investment through $25,000 convertible notes promising a 10 per cent return upon redemption in 18 months.

The Bulletin has confirmed the lease is in place and Mr Caruana is staying on the property.

Mr Caruana did not return multiple calls from the Bulletin.

Boat builder Murray Courtman, 64, said he worked for Amphibia Engineering for a year making the tiny homes.

WE KNEW THAT HE WAS NOT TURNING OVER ENOUGH BUSINESS TO MOVE FORWARD BOAT BUILDER MURRAY COURTMAN

He said Mr Caruana was always behind with his wages.

“He has obviously always had money problems … we were always short of materials pending him paying the bills,” he said. “We knew that he was not turning over enough business to move forward. We were always a week or two behind in getting paid.”

Mr Courtman said his job was terminated in December.

He has laid a complaint with the Australian Taxation Office over unpaid superannuation.

Mr Courtman said Mr Caruana often travelled to Byron Bay and had advertised for expressions-of-interest in investing in his ecovillage.