Radcliff v Walker

Radcliff v Walker involved a dispute between the plaintiff, Radcliff, and the defendant, Walker, regarding a domestic building contract. The plaintiff, Radcliff, claimed that Walker had failed to complete the building work to the required standard and had not authorised necessary variations, leading to additional costs. The case was heard and determined by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT).

The primary legal issues before the Tribunal were whether the building work was completed to the required standard, whether practical completion had been reached, and whether the defendant had authorised the variations. The Tribunal had to determine if the defendant's failure to complete the work to the required standard and the additional costs incurred due to unauthorised variations constituted a breach of the building contract.

The Tribunal found that the building work was not completed to the required standard and that practical completion had not been reached. The Tribunal also found that the defendant had not authorised the variations. Consequently, the Tribunal held that the defendant was liable for the additional costs incurred due to the defective work and the unauthorised variations. The Tribunal ordered the defendant to pay the plaintiff $56,740.55 plus any accretions held by the Master Builders Association trust account by 4:00pm 20 September 2011 and an additional $13,685.65 by 4:00pm 30 September 2011.