Q: I gave John Rea, a builder you ran a story about, a deposit of $1,600 and he failed to do the concreting that was promised. I paid $60 to have the case heard in the Small Claims Tribunal but this was cancelled as they could not deliverthe claim to him because they could not find him. I've been quoted $500 to hire a private investigator to find him. This seems like legalised theft. What can I do? - Patti, Auckland
A: It does seem unfair that all he has to do to avoid paying you back is change his address and stop answering the phone. The address you had for Rea is a garage he was using to store equipment. Several other people have contacted me about dealings with him, so I asked lawyer Vanassa McGoldrick what options were available to you. She said lawyers would sometimes use a private investigator if it was worth it.
"There are other options. If the tradesman had a company, you can serve on the registered office (see Companies Office website for details) but if it is just a private deal with a tradesman you will need his personal address."
She suggested that if you thought it likely he might own property, do a Land Information NZ search. But as Rea has been bankrupted twice, that seems unlikely.
The Ministry of Justice said it was an issue for the police.
