Huge debt for failed tiny homes company

CREDITORS to failed Gold Coast tiny home builder Amphibia Engineering say they are owed as much as $780,000, including funds allegedly taken from clients that never received their houses.

Liquidator Glenn O’Kearney, of GT Advisory & Consulting, was last month appointed to Amphibia Engineering, which traded as technoPODS and other names, including WaterPODS.

Jason Caruana is a director and shareholder

Kerry Caruana.

The move followed allegations reported in the Bulletin in January that about a dozen technoPODS clients had paid between $15,000 and $25,000 in deposits for tiny homes that were not delivered.

In one case, a couple alleged they had paid the full amount of $51,340 upfront, but did not receive a house.

Mr Caruana could not be contacted for comment on Monday nor could Mr O’Kearney. with wife

Last month, Mr O’Kearney reported to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission that he had been advised of $780,761 owed to creditors.

The largest amount owed to a secured creditor is $30,676 to A & L Windows Pty Ltd, based in NSW, while the largest amount owed to an unsecured creditor is $54,753 to Bretts Timber and Hardware based in Brisbane.

Eleven tiny home buyers are listed owed between $18,000 and $51,340.

Eight employees are listed as owed $31,000.

The total amount reported to be owed by Amphibia far outweighs the listed assets, which include $47,000 worth of work in progress, and adds up to $94,500.

Amphibia Engineering was founded in 2015 by UK-born Jason Caruana.

Mr Caruana marketed the homes at people who wanted a property without a large mortgage while at the same time reducing their carbon footprint.

On December 29, Mr Caruana

allegedly told staff at his Steiglitz-based company that the business would cease with “immediate effect” and all employee contracts would be terminated.

“Unfortunately in the last week my personal circumstances have changed significantly out of the blue,” he allegedly wrote in an email to staff. “I won’t go into details, however what it means is I need to cease the business with immediate effect until these circumstances can be resolved.”