#36320
Sir Humphrey
Strataguru

    The state and territory Tribunals are intended to be low cost, often able to be run without lawyers, and generally don’t award costs except in unusual circumstances. If the lawyer has just given you their bill or the builder has passed it on to you, I don’t think you need to pay it. They are bluffing. For you to be liable to pay the bill, they would have needed to apply to the Tribunal to award costs, specified what those costs were, shown that they were reasonable, and then the Tribunal might have ordered you to pay those costs. Generally the loser in a matter is only ordered to pay costs if the Tribunal believes they have been uncooperative or caused the other party’s costs to be excessive through unreasonable behaviour. The Tribunal would generally provide written reasons for such a decision along with its orders.

    Edit: And do what JT says, above.