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Subversiveness Backside of Connected Walls: A Neighbour Disastrous Impact on Our Idyllic Refuge
In the CBD of Alexandria, Melbourne stood our gorgeous sanctuary of some greater than 20 years, a secret award winning house and garden amidst the storm of its streets. For 30 years, it was a beautiful home of solace, a oasis of shimmering beauty and safety.
As an honoured architect creator, my friend had donated to our city of Sydney with numerous city improvement design proposals, but of these none were more personal and loved that the progressive design of the Lawrence Street, Sydney, Australia, Victorian conversion. Conspicuously in the Sydney Morning Herald, it was acclaimed as a creative masterpiece, blending Victorian magic with modern-day elegance.
The Victorian transmutation was a testament to architectural ingenuity—a two and 1/2-story addition and renovations to a Victorian style semi-attached, offering a house for a family and a home-office or studio. The premier feature was the light tower, far above the main structure with floating stairway, acquiring the essence of the southeastern and northwestern sky. French style sash windows adorned the master bedroom, while timber casement windows decorate in the bathroom frame the views and filter the light.
However, our beautiful existence was destroyed when a new neighbour, a fencing contractor, entered the scene next door. Initially welcomed with open arms, his actions soon created absolute chaos threatening the safety of everyone in the area. Without due diligence, he began demolishing our brick supporting wall, the major load supporting wall of our master bedroom. At one stage he had constructed a hose from his roof diverted water into our office, causing over some several thousand dollars damage to the upstairs rooms, and undermining the footing of the house.
To compound matters, we discovered that the intermediate wall lacked the required fire rating, a critical oversight that threatened everyone's well-being. In spite of our urgent endeavours to rectify the issue with the builder and contacting the council, we were informed the builder's inspector had already approved on the construction, providing no recourse and leaving us vulnerable to harm.
In spite of receiving a legal judgement in their favour and compensation for the damages incurred, the toll was abysmal and created many unpleasant memories. They decided to sell their beloved home, we mourned the loss of our award winning sanctuary, another victim of proper government oversight and dodgy building practices. The lack of oversight and appropriate governance by local government allowed this tragedy to unfold, highlighting the need for more extensive accountability and legal protection for owners.
As we grapple with the effects of this ordeal, we are left to ponder: What help do owners have when their sanctuaries are threatened by the neglect of dodgy construction companies?
Where to Commence - Vote the Best and Incompetent Builders in Australia..?
The Bankrupt, Accused, and the Collapse of Property CorporationToplace
from Aug 2023
A Accused consultant played a pivotal role in secured his insolvency firm a highly lucrative job — supervising the disintegration of Bankrupt Jean Nassif's business empire, which went under liabilities exceeding $1.24 billion, incl. $88.5 million owed to suppliers and onsite builders.
Brand New disclosures about the downfall of Nassif's Toplace corporation have come out in documented evidence presented to the Australian Federal Court this week by bankruptcy managers from dVT Group of Companies. These evidence reveal that secured creditors such as offshore lenders in tax havens, are owed one thousand million.
Further Applicable Subject Matter:
Riad Tayeh, Jean Nassif, and Toplace's Skyview building development in Castle Hill.
Creditors without Security, have filed claims totalling an estimated quarter of a billion.
Federal Court claims also show that Riad Tayeh, company founder of dVT Group of companies, played a central duty in guaranteeing his firm's assignment as bankruptcy managers. Even though being proclaimed bankrupt in June last year with $5.4 million in debt, Tayeh, now a business advisor, and partner Antony Resnick went to important meetings with Toplace top managers in the days leading up to the firm's appointment as administrators.
As well as those involved at the meetings on Aug 2020 was Jean Nassif's 29-year-old daughter, Ashlyn, whose legal certificate was suspended while she fights charges relating to fraud bound to Toplace's Skyview construction development in Castle Hill.
Riad Tayeh was declared bankrupt in June last year.
Just days before the meetings, an arrest warrant was issued of Jean Nassif, 55, who escaped to Dubai in November 2022. Jean and Ashlyn Nassif are accused of fraud to secure a $150 million loan from Westpac.
In July, Resnick and fellow dVT partner Suelen McCallum were appointed voluntary bankruptcy administrators for Toplace, following a resolution passed by Jean Nassif, its sole director The bankruptcy administrators now face the task of handling one of New South Wales' biggest corporate bankruptcy's.
Resnick filed an affidavit in the Federal Court indicating that while Toplace's assets are valued at approximately $1.47 billion, its debts are nearly the same amount. Administrators are also investigating more than 3,000 residential apartments still under development.
Further complicating the administrators' task is the web of intercompany loans among Nassif's entities, which amount to $319 million. adding that Toplace's financial books had not been properly updated since 2021.
Sydney Buildings Falling Down... Nightmare on Builders Street?!
Continuing from my opinion piece "Holding the Line" (https://shorturl.at/4xbiF), the following stories outline a persistent sickness within the Sydney housing and property market. Despite recently updated NSW Building Property legislation, many investors are forced to buy homes that do not guarantee the safety of their money and investment.
These stories often go unnoticed and become the burden of socially righteous politicians in search of votes. The diminishing hope that government and local councils will provide a safe pair of hands for Australians striving to live the Aussie homeowner dream is disheartening.
Failures of Governance
- New Tower Block Evacuated Amid Cracks Concern: (https://t.ly/8b5Xd)
- Opal Tower Evacuation Amid Structural Concerns: (https://t.ly/vy_eG)
Betrayal Behind the Walls: A Neighbor's Ordeal
In the heart of Alexandria stood my friends David and Anne's sanctuary—a walled garden amidst the chaos of city streets. For 30 years, it was a place of solace and safety. David, an esteemed architect, had graced our community with numerous urban projects, none as beloved as the Lawrence Street Victorian conversion. Hailed as a masterpiece, it blended old-world charm with modern elegance.
The Victorian conversion featured a two-storey addition and renovations to a late Victorian terrace, highlighted by a light tower soaring above the main structure with suspended stairs. French windows adorned the bedroom, while timber casement windows in the bathroom welcomed views and filtered light.
As the design set a precedent, builders and designers began poaching the concept. This Web page a builder, purchased the single-storey terrace adjoining my friends' and sought to incorporate David's design concept into his new renovation.
Life was reasonable until Meek began demolishing the upper walls and roof of his terrace, causing horrendous noise and damage to David and Anne's wall. When confronted, Meek revealed large cracks on their wall but refused entry for inspection.
Eventually, David hired an unbiased engineer to inspect the wall at his and Anne's expense, as the City of Sydney had failed to include a Dilapidation Report in Meek's Development Consent.
The wall damage was just the beginning. David and Anne experienced flat car tires from builders' screws, water damage in their home, and other disruptive issues. Despite legal advice, they struggled to hold Meek accountable. Offers from Meek to repair the damage were refused, and my friends settled for a small sum for walls and ceiling damage.
Meek's negligence continued with a faulty stormwater system, causing further damage and concerns about termite risks. Complaints to the Council and Building Certifier were dismissed, leading to a futile letter of demand from David's solicitor.
After repeated flooding incidents and confrontations, David and Anne sought conciliation through the NSW Community Justice Centre, but the Meeks refused. Left with no choice, David and Anne sold their house and retired to the NSW far south coast. The legitimacy of private certifiers approving building works remains under scrutiny by State and Local Government and Royal Commission investigations.
Conclusion
"We did everything we could to resolve these issues; however, although we received minor compensation, it was nothing compared to the stress we endured trying to get our neighbor to build responsibly, and a state government and local council who could do nothing to protect us due to a lack of proper governance."
Australian homeowners are left to ponder: What other disasters are waiting to destroy their dreams? What recourse do house, apartment, and property owners have when their sanctuaries are threatened by greed, incompetence, and negligence? Even with recent legislation in NSW, it fails to provide complete protection for homeowners.
The Wall