A Dallas man has been convicted and fined $60,000 after posing as a registered roof plumber and scamming a single mother in Whittlesea.
Mohammad Ali Eshan and his company Mojo Roofing Pty Ltd were found guilty of six offences under the Building Act following a prosecution by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA).
The 32-year-old failed to appear at Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court and was convicted for carrying out unlicensed roof plumbing work between May and July 2022 without the required insurance.
Eshlan told the victim he was registered with the VBA and quoted $27,000 to replace her tiled roof with a metal one.
She paid a deposit of $18,500, but soon noticed major defects.
An independent inspection confirmed serious faults, and Eshlan refused to return or fix the issues.
The woman was left $30,000 out of pocket after hiring another plumber to complete the work.
She also installed CCTV at her home after Eshlan allegedly became verbally aggressive when she refused to pay him the remaining balance.
VBA Commissioner Anna Cronin said the case highlighted the risks of hiring unregistered tradespeople.
“This is a heartbreaking example of how wrong things can go,” Ms Cronin said.
The VBA has detected 34 unregistered workers across more than 1,200 building sites.
To report unregistered work, visit the VBA website.
