Christchurch’s ‘worst builder’ won’t let go
A building company operator, described by clients as Christchurch’s ‘‘worst builder’’, is fighting the liquidation of his company.
Sam Rogers, now living in Southland, was not in the High Court at Christchurch on Thursday when it heard an application to appoint liquidators to Land Homes Ltd, currently under the directorship of Rogers’ wife, Kimberley.
The company’s indebtedness has yet to be ascertained but, according to a letter of compromise Rogers sent to creditors last September, the company owes more than $1 million.
The subject of the liquidation bid was a debt of about $16,000 Land Homes owed to its lawyers, Saunders & Co.
The firm’s counsel, Andrew Riches, told Associate Judge Owen Paulsen that Rogers had been difficult to find and his first contact with Rogers over the debt was on Wednesday when Rogers offered to pay 10 per cent.
Land Homes was not trading, he said.
Associate Judge Paulsen said the court had received an email from Rogers in which he disputed the debt and offered to pay 50 per cent of the bill into court that day. The judge adjourned the matter to October 2.
Several of the company’s clients last year told Stuff of missed deadlines, shoddy workmanship, late payments, broken promises and communication difficulties.
Steve Holder and Julie Collins, both 46, are the latest to want to tell their story to illustrate the pitfalls even people with experience in the industry can have with a ‘‘nightmare’’ builder.
Holder, who is a civil engineer and
‘‘I went into this thinking ... I could manage any issues.’’
Steve Holder
Civil engineer
works as a project manager, said he should have known better. ‘‘I went into this thinking my experience and expertise would have kept this construction going along quite nicely and I could manage any issues and yet this happened to us. I feel responsible.
‘‘It was my complacency and being misled by people who appeared to be trustworthy. No-one is immune to being led astray.’’
The couple moved from Brighton in England to New Brighton in Christchurch about eight years ago and were ready to build their dream home in 2017. They were put in touch with Land Homes in January 2018 and signed up to buy a land and house package in Linwood for $450,000. The earthworks started in October 2018 and initially the house, constructed from insulated panels, seemed to be progressing well. This week, after two years of heartache and anxiety, they finally moved in thanks to a new builder (R&B Builders) that fixed Land Homes’ mistakes and finished the job.
Holder said the build was ‘‘one of the hardest things I have ever done’’.
They had needed counselling and deeply regretted building with Land Homes, he said.
‘‘It has been very hard on us. The build was going bad and they said: We will do this, we will do that. Sam’s enthusiasm eclipsed his ability.’’
Collins said the build was ‘‘really horrendous’’. ‘‘We have lost a lot of money but it is not just the money. It is the time you can never get back. I don’t want to put people off building their dream home, because it is a wonderful thing, but do your due diligence. I am too trusting. I got fooled.’’
The first sign of trouble was Land Homes’ constantly changing workforce and, in August last year, a council
inspection uncovered problems. Within weeks, it became clear Land Homes was in serious financial trouble.
Just before Christmas last year Holder was driving past the site and noticed people ripping out the windows from the house. It was the window manufacturer who had not been paid.
Holder was surprised because he had already paid Land Homes $30,500 for the windows. At a meeting, Holder accepted Rogers’ assurances that it would be sorted. It wasn’t and Holder had to pay another $39,000 for new windows, installation and remedial work. ‘‘Basically he bare-faced lied to me. ‘‘And I fell for it and I feel more stupid for that. I thought I was a brighter person.’’ Holder also found out Land Homes owed $6324 for the roof, which the couple had already paid for. To get the roof finished, the couple paid the amount. The window replacement costs should have been covered by insurance but Land Homes had let the construction insurance policy lapse in November 2019. After the couple terminated the contract in February this year, they found faults identified in a council inspection more than seven months ago had not been fixed. The remedial work cost them another $21,000.
‘‘In the end it has cost us a whisker under $590,000. I put about $100,000 of that down to mistakes and bad workmanship,’’ Holder said.
The couple were full of praise for their new builders, R&B Builders, ‘‘who rescued us and turned a nightmare into a home’’.
Rogers was approached for comment but did not respond.