Confronting a runaway concreter | A Current Affair

Despicable people, that's how Jess describes Dave and Julie who run a concreting business.Despite coming over as friendly and genuine, the couple take big deposits, leave your driveway a mess and vanish.Dig a little deeper, turns out Dave is linked to a long line of cancelled companies.

I'm out of pocket $17 ,500.My husband and I sit out the front every afternoon and apologise to a lot of people walking by because it's just upsetting.We don't want to hurt someone because they haven't given us our driveway.

They started the process, dug the foundation, put the framework and the steelwork in and then just absconded, left it half done.

I've paid $18 ,000 in total and they haven't finished the job.

And why promise to deliver something when you can't?

David Tague and Julie Sidoni appear like a hard -working, salt -of -the -earth couple.They run Shoreline Concrete Concepts, promising to deliver dream driveways.Problem is, they never poured a drop of concrete for these customers.David, you've dug yourself into quite a hole, haven't you?

I'm not out to rob everyone.

We would like to know why you've taken your customers' money and left them stuck in the mud.We tracked down Dave seemingly on his way to a concreting job and gave him some hard truths.

You remember me, Dave?You came to my house, you dug up my driveway and you were supposed to pour some concrete and you never did.I now have a safety hazard in my front lawn.Andy, many of your customers have come to us because you left them in the lurch.You took their money and you've done a runner.You didn't finish the job.

I don't have any words for them, I really don't.They're just horrible, horrible people.

Jessica thought she'd hire a local concreting company to get the job done at her Redland Bay home southeast of Brisbane.

They were lovely to begin with.Absolutely lovely.They gave me a lot of confidence.

They started the work, but her yard's been sitting like this for five months.

Won't pick up the phone.It's actually turned off now.They've disconnected it.My husband is now having to work on weekends just to make ends meet, and it's not fair on him, it's not fair on us.Where's my driveway?That was my hard -earned cash.

I worked my butt off for that money.You have dug us a massive hole.It's not a driveway, it is a hole.I thought you were a great bloke.Silly me, patron fool.You just ghosted me.

You ghosted all of us.You didn't contact any of us.You're still out conquering.

You're working for someone else, but you can't fix Jessica's driveway.

I'm trying to get enough money together to pay everyone else.

After taking Jessica's money, David and Julie still went on to sting more customers.

Once we'd paid, we had no more comms, despite emails, text messages, phones.

No explanation.Not a word.Teresa and Steve paid almost $18 ,000 to get their driveway done.We have a driveway now?Yes.But it's not thanks to David and Julie, is it?

No.

We have to spend another $17 ,000 to get it to the finished product.

Paying double for a driveway has forced the couple to delay their retirement.

How do you feel every day looking in the mirror?

And do you sleep at night?

It all looked legit online.online, everything looked perfect, the reviews were there.They did seem very professional.Julie actually came round and measured it all up to quote from it.

Adrian forked out for a cement slab to park his caravan.

He asked for the final payment and within two days of that final payment, totally uncontactable and so we were completely in the dark.

Adrian's a retired military veteran and thanks to Julie and David, he's had to take money out of his pension.

Yeah, I had to hire another concreter to finish the job.That's cost me an extra $6 ,000.

We're $20 ,000 out of pocket and we've just built our dream home and that money was to go towards other bits and pieces and we've now lost it.They'd been in the area.We'd seen them around working in the area.We thought we had done our research.So it really blindsided us.

Young mum Peter says David and Julie demanded 70 % up front for her driveway.And we never heard from them or saw them again after that.How much money did you have to fork out on top to get this done?

Another $19 ,000.

Peter went digging herself and discovered the Queensland Building and Construction Licence number David and Julie were using belonged to someone else.

But they were not aware that their number was being used and from what I have found out, being used for quite a few years without their knowledge.David, you've been operating without a licence.

Whose license have you been using?Do they know you've been using that license number?

That was...I know who you're talking about.But every time something was sent from the desktop computer, it still went through.

No, you can't pay anyone back because you're bankrupt.You went bankrupt?

No, but you've put it in your partner's name.Turns out David's a bankrupt and he's linked to a long list of cancelled companies.Shoreline Concrete Concepts is in Julie's name.A creditor has already petitioned for her to file for bankruptcy.So what's happening with the business now?Nothing.

Nothing?

Nothing at all.

What about Julie?She's now going bankrupt.

She will have to, yeah.She will.

Yeah.But surely you guys knew you were in a bit of trouble.

We did.And you know what?We had to make, draw a line somewhere.I had to try and do another job to do that job.You know what I mean?It was digging a hole to fill that hole.

It's unfair.Unfair to everyone involved.

At the end of the day, we just want to get our money back.

Stop selling your stuff.

I want to sell everything.

Do not deal with them at all.

A piece of work, huh?Police have confirmed they are looking into the complaints.