Kent builder hid bankruptcy from customer who paid for home improvements he did not complete
The builder received more than £30,000 for the project
- Wayne Miller hid his bankrupt status from a customer who he convinced to pay £30,000 for home renovations
- The home improvements, which included a new kitchen and two-storey extension, were never completed despite numerous promises by Miller
- Miller was handed a suspended sentence and ordered to pay compensation following investigations by the Insolvency Service
A bankrupt builder who persuaded a customer to pay him more than £30,000 for home improvements he never completed has been sentenced.
Wayne Miller deliberately concealed his status as a bankrupt from his victim and abandoned the building project in Canterbury when it was nowhere near finished.
Miller was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 12 months, when he appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday 15 October.
The 55-year-old, of Romney Road, Lydd, Kent, was also ordered to repay £18,000 in compensation to his victim and a further £1,000 in costs.
Miller also made a payment of £7,500 to the victim at an earlier date.
Chris Wood, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:
Wayne Miller convinced a customer to pay him more than £30,000 for home renovations which he did not complete.
His actions in concealing his bankrupt status involved a significant amount of deception which caused a great deal of distress and inconvenience to his victim.
The public deserves protection from those who have been unable to pay their debts previously. That is why those declared bankrupt are required to inform would-be creditors of their status so they can make informed decisions on whether to hand money over to them or not.
The customer in this case was not afforded this opportunity and would never have engaged his services or handed over such substantial sums of money if he had known about Miller’s financial history.
Work on the project which was supposed to include a new kitchen and two-storey extension was due to start in March 2018 and Miller told the customer it would take around eight weeks to complete.
Miller and the customer agreed that the total cost of £43,528 would be paid in five equal instalments of £8,705.60, with the first payment made in December 2017, prior to any work on the property starting.
Just weeks before work began on the project, Miller arranged for the customer to speak with a kitchen designer. Miller told the customer he could order the kitchen on his behalf as he had a trade account with the company.
The victim paid Miller a further £7,823 directly into his account. Miller never made any payments to the kitchen company for the purchase.
Work on the project ground to a halt by April 2018. Miller made a number of excuses and did not carry out any further building work on the property.
In total, the victim made payments of £36,190 to Miller.
Miller had been previously declared bankrupt in January 2016 following a petition from HM Revenue and Customs. His bankruptcy remains ongoing as he failed to make all the payments required of him under the terms of an income payment agreement with the Official Receiver.
Individuals subject to a bankruptcy order must disclose their status if they borrow or obtain credit of £500 or more. Those declared bankrupt who are self-employed or are going to start their own business as a sole trader must use the same name the bankruptcy order was made in.
Further information
- Wayne Miller is of Romney Road, Lydd, Kent. His date of birth is 6 October 1970
- Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct
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The Insolvency Service is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade.
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