Melbourne man ordered to pay builder more than $1 million for defamatory posts

A Melbourne homeowner has been ordered to pay Singh Homes and its two directors after a court found that false claims in his social media posts damaged the building business and defamed its owners. The case highlights the potential financial consequences of making untrue public allegations about a business.

Gurvinderpal Singh posted a Punjabi-language TikTok video that attracted about 220,000 views, alongside a Facebook review, after a dispute over delays, payments and workmanship on a home in Truganina. A jury found the allegations false; the company was awarded $673,000 after around a dozen customers abandoned planned contracts, and the directors were awarded $105,000 each in a later ruling, plus legal costs and interest. The total bill is expected to exceed $1 million.