An unlicensed builder who accepted a deposit of nearly $4,000 from one client for work he failed to start and performed substandard work for a second client has been fined $10,600.

In the Adelaide Magistrates Court, 58 year old Paul Arneric of Clarence Park had admitted to breaches of the Australian Consumer Law and the Building Work Contractors Act.

The court heard Arneric had been engaged by one client to install kitchen equipment in their Burton home.

Arneric accepted a $3,800 deposit for the work and had been given a key to his client’s Burton home, taking a rangehood for measurements.

The court was told Arneric never returned the rangehood, and never started the work.

He also failed to attend a compulsory conciliation conference organised by Consumer and Business Services to try and resolve the matter.

In a second case, Arneric accepted an $800 deposit while unlicensed to repair water damage to a client’s investment property at Glenside.

The court heard the work was of a poor standard.

Arneric was fined $10,600 and ordered to pay $800 in prosecution costs. In addition he has paid $4,169 in compensation to his victims.