Questions have been raised in Western Australia over why a Perth house-relocation company remains operating after Consumer Protection warned against dealing with it, amid allegations that about 40 people have collectively been left around A$6 million out of pocket.
Perth House Relocators, also known as JT Projects and JST Projects Australasia, is run by 35-year-old James Sinclair Thomson. The business buys old homes, removes them and resells them, charging customers for transport, development plans, council approvals, renovations, additions, earthworks and plumbing.
A growing number of customers and contractors allege that Thomson failed to honour agreements, accepted deposits without supplying houses, and left workers unpaid for labour, accommodation and food. Thomson has previously said he strenuously denies the allegations.
Consumer Protection issued a warning in July after receiving nine complaints. Commerce Minister Tony Buti told Western Australia’s parliament on Thursday that three further complaints had been made since then.
WA Nationals leader Shane Love said his office had received “significant additional complaints” involving families who had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for homes they either never received or could not live in because they were unfinished.
He asked whether Consumer Protection had received complaints about work solicited, contracted or paid for after the warning, and whether Thomson had continued advertising or accepting inquiries under his different business names.
Mr Love also questioned whether stronger safeguards were needed for modular and relocatable housing businesses, saying consumers could be exposed to significant risks because some operators may sit outside parts of the registration and insurance framework.
“Relocatable houses and modular homes are still homes. Consumers should not be left carrying the risk simply because a building business operates under a different model,” he said.
Mr Buti said he had asked the Building Commissioner for advice on how the regulatory system should respond to the growing use of modular and prefabricated housing. He said the review would consider consumer protections, insurance arrangements and regulatory requirements across different housing models.
“The penalty for an offence of this nature under the Australian Consumer Law is up to $100 million for a company, or two-and-a-half million dollars for an individual,” Mr Buti said.
Thomson responded in a post on his company’s Facebook page, accusing Mr Love of failing to distinguish “fake news and reality” and saying he could not “factually articulate it with evidence”. The post also referred to defamation.
Thomson is separately facing criminal charges arising from an alleged confrontation with Josh Aylett, who claims he is owed $120,000 for a house he never received. Aylett alleges that Thomson followed him for 40 kilometres, collided with his car and sprayed pepper spray in his face.
Thomson was arrested and charged with dangerous driving, driving without authority, possessing a controlled weapon, endangering a person’s life, health or safety, and causing poison to be administered. He has pleaded not guilty and is due to face trial in March.
Attempts by several people to pursue civil action to recover money have so far been unsuccessful.
