Builders In Australia Smash Up Concrete Driveway After Homeowner Refuses To Pay Them For Their Work

The drastic incident happened in in Logan, Queensland, where tradesman Jesse Crowe and his team were contracted to construct a new driveway.

The agreed upon price for the project was $6000 AUD ($4,012 USD). 

Credit: Instagram / @lillstevieg

The homeowner, Viola, initially paid a portion of the cost, amounting to $2,500 AUD ($1,670). 

However, tensions escalated when Viola reportedly withheld the remaining $3,500 AUD ($2,340) because of the job's quality and issues regarding rubbish removal.

Speaking to 7News, Viola alleged that she faced threats from Crowe after voicing her complaints about the driveway. 

"[They said] 'you pay now, now or we will smash the concrete'," she recounted. 

Viola maintained that she was willing to settle the payment but accused the workers of not completing the job to her specifications. 

"They did what they wanted, not what I wanted," she said.

Crowe, after realizing that he is unlikely to get the balance payment, filmed a video showing 'what happens when you don't pay for works carried out at your place'. 

The footage shows Crowe and a colleague demolishing the newly laid driveway with a pickaxe, leaving it riddled with holes and significantly damaged. 

A voice behind the camera is heard saying, "You should have paid. And it's going to cost more to get it all dug up, taken away and poured again," followed by, "Didn't want to pay? This is what happened."

Logan man Jesse Crowe smashed a concrete slab his team had laid after he said the homeowner refused to pay. Credit: 7NEWS

In his defense, Crowe, who claimed to have long been in the trade and always striving to do right by people, expressed his frustration about not getting paid. 

"They don't want to pay, at the end of the day, what are you going to do?" he questioned during his interview with 7News. 

Despite taking pride in his work and his passion for concrete, Crowe felt compelled to take drastic action as he was 'tired of being ripped off'.

Homeowner Viola said she was threatened by the concreters after complaining about the quality of the job and additional fees. Credit: 7NEWS

"I take pride in my work and I love concrete, I love doing it," he said.

The family residing at the property now faces the task of repairing the extensively damaged driveway themselves. 

Crowe, on the other hand, simply stated, "I just want to get paid." 

This dispute, which occurred late last year, continues to be a point of contention for both parties, especially since the video of the incident has been circulating online in recent days.