This is a warning to advise against using a builder named Campbell Grant Senior...

I’m not sure who Marie is. She is obviously hiding her identity, as in the approximately 70 houses we have built over the last few years, I’m certain we’ve never done one for anyone called Marie. I believe I know who she is. This lady cancelled our build contract when we advised her we were coming back on site after the first Covid lockdown. We didn’t contest the cancellation as by this time the build was substantially complete apart from minor finishing work. The contract had already drawn out prior to lockdown, as this lady had very strong views on what she wanted in the build, but real difficulty in conveying it in a way the made any sense. We were quite happy not to have to continue to deal with her. I was accused of failing to communicate with her over a several weeks, but when I checked my records I found 105 emails over that period. We agreed to the contract bbeing terminated provided we were paid the balance owing to us. To date this hasn’t happened. None of th eoutrageous claims she makes are true. This person appears to be mentally unbalanced. She verbally attacked a subcontractor on site, in a way that in my more than 50 years in the industry I have never witnessed before.

I made contact with Grant following his response here. I contacted Marie, asking for proof of her experience. She pointed me to an LBP Complaints Board handling of multiple complaints against Grant (not hers), including suspension of his licence for nine months (here: https://www.toolbox.ewrb.govt.nz/assets/lbp/documents/complaints/complaint-cb24082-2019-substantive.pdf). His LBP listing showing an additional fine is here https://lbp.ewr.govt.nz/PublicRegister/View.aspx?lc=LIC005&r=Manawatu-Wanganui&search=1&p=5&lbpid=BP112492 She has also expanded on details that lead me to believe many of the issues she raised in her first post are likely true, and additional issues with tradespeople not listed here, and I’m confident they’re true as well.

Hi Mark Glad to hear that the evidence presented to you has convinced you that the information is true, factual and as well as a private nightmare ! Along with the independent builders report that concurs with the local authority building inspectors reasons for failing much of his work. The problems shared by the subcontractors just about covers our problem with C G senior & R Penne of Thermawise/BPM Contracts Ltd of Levin. If they had stuck to the contract then none of this would have been so painful, but as they will not follow the LBP Handbook nor the LBP guidelines for members to follow then it’s up to them if they will now come to the arbitration table and pay us what they owe us. Following legal advice there will be no reply directly to the builder.

Hi Mark I see both Campbell grant Senior and his son Nicholas Campbell Senior (of Thermawise and BPM Contracts) are at it again with at least 2 prosecutions underway. They have to go, if this goes on there will just be more leaky houses, my roof hasn’t been touched and it leaks like a sieve, mould patches, etc. What a load of cowboys.

Hello again Mark, thanks for your support and advice over my personal nightmare dealing with Campbell Grant Senior (of BPM Contracts Ltd trading as Thermawise Homes Ltd, etc) who left me with a leaky home, no kitchen, no bathroom and wet room shower. It’s been a battle with the LBP as they lost my initial complaint forms – lost in the post apparently ! You will be happy to know that there is to be a formal BPB hearing in June in Palmerston North, unfortunately my partner passed away in September so I will be fighting this alone.

Hi Marie, Don’t you love it when the builder in question or the franchise company get on this page and try to discredit you to save their reputation only to be found that everything that was said about them was true! Hah! Go Mark! What’s worse for Thermawise is that there is no coming back from this, in Grant Seniors haste to discredit you he has only proven he is the one that’s not to be trusted. Very bad for their image. I get it that not everyone on here are legitimate when posting a negative or even positive review and hats off to Mark for checking, that must be time consuming so thank you Mark 🙂 it’s nice to know you’re looking out for us. Seriously though, I had a good look at their website and their Facebook page and a couple of things stood out for me that may be an “alarm bell” but you can decide. The lack of contact detail is a worry, there is no address for their office even though they state it’s open from 8 to 5 Monday to Friday, no personal photos of any of the Seniors or their crew and many of the positive comments for their FB page seem to be family members? It’s very much like they don’t really want to be found but feel free to fill in an automated contact detail form and send it off and they can find you (unless you’re an unpaid subbie or creditor perhaps?) I don’t know about you but I like full transparency with someone who is potentially building the most expensive thing I’ll ever own but I do have trust issues, others may not. When looking through their photos, especially on their FB page, their attention to detail on their clearly finished work looks very poor to me. Admittedly most of the photos are of unfinished builds but even some of the foundation slabs look terrible, and I was quite sure that external gas cylinders fitted to exterior of a build had to be a decent distance from an opening window? Correct me if I’m wrong please? I’m not a builder but we’ve done a few now and we have an awesome team who really go out of their way to explain the smallest things to me and I really wish people who are building for the first time had a team like mine but sadly, after being on this website for a few years now and seeing the anguish and heartbreak from many on here it seems I may be a minority. The only advice I can really give is keep asking questions! And then ask some more! Paper trails people! Keep everything recorded and saved in an orderly fashion so you can use it to cover your butt at a later stage if need be. Talk to past clients in person and go and physically view the finished build and last but by no means least, get a bloody good lawyer that knows his stuff. It may be a small amount of justice that was served here but I’m smiling none the less. Thanks Marie

Hi Marie, I’m so sorry for your loss especially in these circumstances, I have recently been through the disputes tribunal and had the builder in question have his license suspended until he retrained within a very strict timeframe, pay costs and have a permanent strike against his license The tribunal could have been harsher but I found out that my ruling was pretty severe, the tribunal don’t like to be too harsh seeing as it was they who issued the license and the ruling is timely reminder that somewhere along the line perhaps they stuffed up too. Although they will never admit it. I had a great support team that consisted of other builders and a brilliant lawyer who gave me fantastic advice and when the LBP hearing was complete, I used the ruling to help prosecute and was successful. If you want or need any advice I would be happy to talk, the LBP are not really your friend sadly but I had clever tricks up my sleeve and I would love to pass them on. Email me if you would like I’m more than happy chat. mmjenkins@zoho.com

Hi Marie I’m so very sorry to hear your sad news regarding your partner. Notwithstanding that it comes to us all, it’s still a bastard when it happens to you and never worse than when you’re in the middle of a fight like this. I am pleased that I was able to help in some small way and wish you the very best in the upcoming hearing. And you are correct – our Licensing regime serves the needs of the housebuilding community poorly.

Hi MJ, when you say you have done a few projects do you mean with SIP’s ? Thanks for your support, it’s appreciated. We had a good laugh when C G Senior objected to the use of a middle name when he is doing exactly the same, especially as it’s hard to find Grant Senior but easy to find Campbell Grant Senior online. We had not noticed that there were no photos of C G Senior, but I do take your point. We have been informed by some of those unfortunate tradesmen (ie for payment) that there was something of interest online & they sent a link. His partner (Mr Pene) is in the press occasionally, especially ‘Stuff’ and see Thermawise have received Government funding for training in their ‘building method’ – we can only hope it’s not a sign on things to come.Unfortunately he is now an angry man who can’t see what’s self evident to the untrained eye, never mind the trained eye. After a Master Builders (MB) report was produced to show him his errors, then he was even walked around by the MB & a lawyer he seems to think it’s a matter of opinion. It’s short sighted of him but what else can be done ? The MB report concurred with the local authority report, which was a fail – so no CCC until we can have all the errors corrected. We had not noticed that there were no photos of C G Senior, so we do take your point. We had been informed by some of those tradesmen (who had to wait for payment) that there was something of interest online & they sent a link. His partner (Mr Pene) is in the press occasionally, especially ‘Stuff’ & I see Thermawise have received Government funding for training in their ‘building method’ – we can only hope it’s not a sign on things to come. They do use an address but it’s C G Senior’s home address, but point taken and the trust issue is now on red alert !

In relation to your question re clearances from twin 45 kg LPG cylinders, its 150 mm to an openable window. Check out this link: https://www.manfeildauto.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Handy-info-bottle-clearance-distances-pdf.pdf

Hi Marie I’m so very sorry to hear your sad news regarding your partner. Notwithstanding that it comes to us all, it’s still a bastard when it happens to you and never worse than when you’re in the middle of a fight like this. I am pleased that I was able to help in some small way and wish you the very best in the upcoming hearing. And you are correct – our Licensing regime serves the needs of the housebuilding community poorly.

Got to agree with Marie. Time to complain to the LBP as not happy with the extension, job or the builder and now in legal tangle over money.

Hi Shannon, me too on the legal tangle over money – but at least it means that there is a lawyer involved, or should I say yet another lawyer – this one is the third – I think ! I have also been in contact with the LBP who have told me (on many occasions, also relayed to Mr Senior) me that this demand is against their handbook rules as an LBP cannot make a final claim until a CCC is issued by the local authority, as well as a walk thru to assess ‘discrepancies’, neither has occurred therefore no claim can be made. We have been forwarded his trade me listing by some of his ‘subbies’ as he is trying to sell his house, pity it’s built with dodgy materials, Horowhenua DC, quote : “the walls are plastered asbestos, a later addition is timber and asbestos and the roofing is urethane”, so he might find it a bit difficult to sell.