‘We are starving’: Angry tradies claim developer owed them thousands
A number of tradies claim they've been left out of pocket in an ugly stoush between a builder and developer on a Bondi apartment block.
Rajesh Nellore and Felicia Whiting's Bonheur Holdings is at the centre of the conflict, with some subcontractors and tradies claiming the developers' tactics left them unpaid and locked out of the site.
Bonheur Holdings is currently involved in a staggering number of court cases.
A group of tradies have unleashed at a developer they say has left them out of pocket. A Current Affair
A common theme sees Bonheur citing defective work as the reason for not paying their sub-contractors the full amount.
But tradie Murat, whose family piling business CF Group put in footings at the apartment complex, said it wasn't right.
"When we tell (Ms Whiting) to outline the defective works, there's nothing coming in a proper format," he told A Current Affair.
"She's basically trying to avoid us and not pay us."
Rajesh Nellore (pictured) and Felicia Whiting run developer Bonheur Holdings. A Current Affair
Murat said they had been waiting eight months for payment, leaving the business struggling.
"Basically we are starving," he said.
Murat's company has since won a claim against the developer.
They were awarded $80,000, but the developer then sent a legal letter counter-suing CF Group for $90,000.
Tradie Murat said he had been waiting for payment for eight months. A Current Affair
"It's cost us $30,000-$40,000 to get legal advice on this alone and deal with it in court," Murat said.
A Current Affair spoke with eight tradies and subcontractors who have been forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars chasing millions allegedly owed to them, or defending themselves in cases brought against them by Mr Nellore and Ms Whiting.
Chamberlains Lawyers building and construction director of litigation Michael Terry-Whitall said prolonged legal action by developers was a classic tactic used to grind down subcontractors.
"If you are out of pocket $80,000 or $90,000 and your only option is to spend $20,000-$30,000 on an expert, and then tens of thousands more in legal fees over the course of 12-18 months, you tend to find some of the smaller guys walk away rather than pursue what they are entitled to," he said.
Two builders were sacked during the construction of the apartment block, while a third said he had walked away. A Current Affair
Ultimately, the block was built, but the much-trumpeted Modulus apartments were subjected to downgrades.
A Current Affair was also privy to an on-site confrontation during development, when a number of angry tradies arrived demanding payment.
Bonheur Holdings sacked two builders during construction, while a third builder told A Current Affair he heard warning bells and walked out after just a few weeks.
In a silver lining, the tradies were eventually paid by a builder, which is currently waiting on the outcome of a $1.4 million court case against Bonheur Holdings.
Felicia Whiting claimed Bonheur Holdings was protecting its contractual position. A Current Affair
Mr Nellore did not comment when approached by A Current Affair.
However, Ms Whiting denied the Bonheur Holdings undertook court action to avoid paying bills, and also denied that the company had a track record of not paying builders.
"We protect our contractual position," she said.
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