Idols winner Paxton Fielies and her mother say they’ve been cheated out of R800 000 by a building contractor who has left them with a half-built structure.
The 18-year old singing sensation says she’s been left “heartbroken” after her dream was destroyed.
Paxton’s mother Chrystal Fielies, 46, admits she had very little knowledge about the process when she asked Ricardo Bennett from Satari Constructions to make alterations to their tiny two-bedroom Bishop Lavis home in June last year.
She wanted to turn her house into a double storey, and add two bedrooms, a bathroom, TV room, balcony, staircase and soundproof music studio.
She says Bennett quoted her R800 000 for the entire job, and said he could finish by the end of August 2018.
‘PAYMENT WAS SLOW’: Contractor Ricardo Bennett. Photo: SUPPLIED
“We trusted him with the building because he seemed legit,” says Chrystal.
“I was referred to him by our architect and he started building in June last year. They started building the stairs and some walls on top of our existing home, but that is all.”
Chrystal says not only did Bennett not meet his August deadline, but work dragged on to December.
“They last did any work in August last year and kept delaying the process. We paid him nearly R800 000,” she says.
STARTED: Unfinished stairs. Photo: SUPPLIED
“Ricardo asked for the original contract as he needed it for some reason, but I never got it back and he never returned again.”
She says all his tools and the materials are still in the building and she still corresponded with him over the phone until February.
When the Daily Voice spoke to Bennett on Thursday, he claimed Chrystal was a slow payer and that he was planning to complete the job.
“But I can’t set a final date yet as we have other clients to see to as well,” he says.
“Mrs Fielies wasn’t paying us on time and this was the reason we stopped building.
“She paid in dribs and drabs, she paid us this amount (nearly R800 000) and I don’t deny that we got paid. The contract has expired by now and there will be extra costs when we go back to finish.”
But Chrystal says she is not interested: “I want my money back so I can get someone else to finish the job.”
SHELL: The incomplete structure without a roof, windows and doors, at Bishop Lavis property. Photo: Supplied
Paxton, who is currently touring in Los Angeles, says she is sad at the state of affairs.
“The original house is currently leaking in some points because of the building,” she says.
“I’m upset because it’s the one thing I wanted for my mom. I wanted her to have her own space. “Her face lit up when I told her I want to build up for her and that brought joy to my heart.”
Asked why she didn’t simply buy her mom a new house, the teen said they decided to stay in Bishop Lavis because of her grandmother.
“She is getting old and needs us, so we decided to rather extend the house and stay there.
“I had a financial advisor when I came out of Idols, but not during this time when we did the building planning.
“I can’t blame my mom for the things that went wrong, we did research and followed procedure, but it wasn’t enough, I guess.”