Subbies come to the rescue

The Kain family are grateful for the kindness of subbies. Photo / Duncan Brown

The Kain family of Pukahu are happy in their new home, thanks to building-industry goodwill.

Theirs was one of four houses left partially built when Miller Homes, the trading name of Abel Builders, went into liquidation in March.

The family moved from Wellington and were living with Kathy Kain's parents in Havelock North when work on their house, 85 per cent complete, stopped.

"I was feeding the ducks and I asked why they were taking stuff off the building site rather than bringing it on," Kathy said.

"They were taking anything that wasn't nailed down. He said, perhaps you should go and talk to your builder."

"The plasterer, Paul Mayo, stood there with me and said no matter what happens I'll come back and finish the job - I only have one or two days, even if I don't get paid."

The liquidator gave the main contract to complete their home to two contractors already on the project, Matt Symonds and Paul Jack. She said the family had made progress payments "but not all of that money had been paid on to the people doing the job". "Even though they may not have been paid for all the work they had done, they turned up with smiles every day. "Some people didn't care there was a liquidation going on, they basically came forward and said, you want your house finished and we pride ourselves on the work we do. We will still do the job to the best of our ability and see you right."

To get council code of compliance they required sign off for work completed. "People who had already completed work and obviously had not been paid for what they had done, still had to sign off and give a guarantee on the work they had not been paid for. They didn't have to sign but they did.

"If something had gone wrong they would have had to come in and fix it - Inex Plastering, Hawke's Bay Long Run, Steve Hill Electrical and AB Plumbing."

Ian Kain said most people signed off for work when they were not obliged to. "If they hadn't then our contract would have suddenly got a whole lot more expensive because they would have had to get somebody else come and check everything. "We have ended up out of pockets but not as much as we would have done. There are good people out there."