Barry Shonhan, owner of Fat Boy Skips in Queensland, Australia, has openly admitted to dumping rubbish on customers' properties as a method to recover payment for unpaid skip bin services. This practice came to light after a grieving mother accused his company of scattering waste across the entrance to her late parents' property in Townsville.
Megan Churchill, from Melbourne, stated she returned to her late parents' Townsville property to sort through belongings after her mother's death from cancer. She discovered a full skip bin on the property and later found rubbish strewn across the entrance. Churchill maintains she did not order the skip bin, which she believes was hired and filled by a squatter who had been living on the property. She also claims she was never notified of any outstanding debt.
Shonhan, however, told the Daily Mail Australia that money was still owed for the bin's removal. "If someone doesn't pay for a skip, I don't take the rubbish," he said, confirming he dumped the waste at the property because the bill had not been paid. He also stated he had attempted to contact Churchill multiple times before dumping the waste.
Multiple online reviews from other customers allege similar tactics, with some claiming they were threatened with or subjected to such actions after disputes over additional charges. Shonhan remained unapologetic when questioned about these allegations.
This admission follows a previous environmental enforcement order against Shonhan. Approximately a year prior, environmental authorities ordered the closure of a property he owns in Cape Cleveland, where 119 cubic meters of waste were discovered. Firefighters reported witnessing waste, including solar panels, being burned on the property at night near environmentally sensitive wetlands. Shonhan has denied that a stop-work order was ever issued for this site, despite an order naming him and showing aerial imagery of trucks with Fat Boy Skips signage delivering waste.