The case in summary: A man in his 30s from Vestfold has been sentenced to prison for defrauding several people by pretending to be a craftsman. He has been sentenced to one year and eleven months in prison, of which five months are suspended. He must also pay compensation of over NOK 1.3 million to three homeowners. The man is said to have lied about both his own and hired craftsmen’s qualifications, and the work he carried out had major shortcomings. The man has acknowledged large parts of the circumstances and wants to make amends to the best of his ability, according to his lawyer. According to the lawyer, the man is considering appealing the sentencing, according to the lawyer. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. The roofer has been sentenced to one year and eleven months in prison for, among other things, gross fraud and embezzlement. Five months of the prison sentence have been suspended. He must also pay compensation to three homeowners of just over 1.3 million, most of which goes to pensioner Nina Harritslev Nielsen from Larvik. Nina Harritslev Nielsen does not think she will get the money her husband is ordered to pay her in compensation. Photo: Helena Rønning / news – It is good that he has been sentenced, but he could have received a longer sentence. I think he deserved it, the way he has behaved, says Nielsen. She does not believe the compensation money will be paid out, because she fears the man will not be able to pay for himself. Checklist before choosing a tradesman Check the references of the companies you receive offers from. Check the official information about the company: Are the finances satisfactory? Ask if the craftsman has a master’s degree and check his competence. Write a clear and concise contract. You can agree on a price in three different ways: Fixed price. The final invoice cannot be higher than this. Price estimate: If the craftsman has given a price estimate in advance, the price must not exceed the stated amount significantly, and in any case no more than 15 percent, unless something has been expressly agreed. Group price: If you have not agreed a price for the work in advance, the price must be calculated in the usual way as for similar services. You can find the gang’s price by obtaining price offers from other players in the same industry. See the entire list for the Consumer Council here An appraiser who has looked at the work the man’s company carried out on her house, explained in court that most of it was done unprofessionally and had major defects. Lying about qualifications The man must have lied about both his own qualifications and those of hired craftsmen. – The actions bear the stamp of having been systematic and planned, says the judgment from the Vestfold district court. Carpenter Espen Tanum shows rot damage in the house. Helena Rønning For two other roofers, he has also been convicted of taking advance payment without the intention being to complete the work. Both homeowners were awarded almost NOK 694,000 and NOK 123,000 respectively in compensation in a previous judgement. Found more and more errors Nina Harritslev Nielsen contacted the man because water was coming into the living room from the ceiling. The man then marketed himself as a plumber and carpenter. As he started, the scope of the work increased after several faults and rot damage were found in the home, the man told the court. He was paid in advance for materials, but she had to buy new ones because the materials did not show up or were destroyed during assembly. – There were always new people who came, did something and disappeared again, says Nielsen. Realized that she had been tricked Eventually the craftsmen stopped showing up to finish the job. She had then paid the man NOK 1.9 million. The man’s work is estimated to be NOK 618,300, according to the court. Nielsen reported the case when she realized she had been deceived. – I got a bad feeling that he can’t be trusted. And that was true too. According to the court, the man called himself a carpenter, despite the fact that he had no practical or theoretical training in the subject. Carpenter repairs water leak Carpenter Espen Tanum has been given the task of cleaning up after the previous craftsman. Carpenter Espen Tanum works on Nielsen’s house. Photo: Helena Rønning / news – There has been an opening in the roof, which has led to extensive water damage to the false ceiling. The water has continued down to the first floor. It is quite comprehensive, says Tanum. He points to some windows that are barely stuck in the frame and where the homeowner has insulated them with plastic bags. The roofer has said that he will make amends to the best of his ability, says his lawyer Christian Flemmen Johansen. Photo: Helena Rønning / news Will make up for himself The man’s lawyer, Christian Flemmen Johansen, says that the man has said that he will make up for himself to the best of his ability. He says the man had the best intentions when the work on the houses started, but that it did not go as planned. He is sorry for that and has apologized, according to Johansen. When the case was heard in Vestfold District Court, the roofer pleaded guilty to everything he was charged with. He was also denied the right to run a company in Norway for the next five years. Johansen says the man has taken the sentence with composure. – He has acknowledged large parts of the circumstances and now wants to get on with his life. Will appeal Johansen says that there are many indications that the man will appeal the sentencing because it is too long or too severe. – It is because the case is of an older type. It has had a longer shelf life. This is what we call a violation of European human rights. That means he should have a lighter sentence. Nielsen’s advice to others after what she has been through is to do thorough research on the craftsmen they are going to use. Published 02.10.2024, at 10.02 Updated 02.10.2024, at 15.46
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Roofer from Vestfold sentenced for extensive fraud – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
