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Treachery Backside of Connected Wall: A Neighbour Fateful Impact on Our Idyllic Refuge
In the heart of Alexandria, Melbourne stood our gorgeous sanctuary of some greater than 20 years, a walled special architecturally designed house and garden amidst the chaos of its streets. For 30 years, it was a loving place of comfort, a oasis of shimmering beauty and sanctuary.
As an esteemed architect, my friend had graced our city with numerous urban proposals, but of these none were more beloved that the modern design of the Lawrence Street, Alexandria, Victorian. Conspicuously in the Sydney Morning Herald, it was applauded as a masterpiece, blending Victorian charm with modern-day elegance.
The Victorian conversion was a testament to architectural creativity—a three-story addition and renovations to a late Victorian terrace, providing a house for a family and a home office. The highlight was the light tower, far above the roof with floating stairway, capturing the core of the southeastern and northwestern sky. French style sash windows dressed the main bedroom, while timber casement windows decorate in the bathroom frame the views and filter the light.
However, our beautiful lifestyle was shattered when our neighbour, a fencing contractor, moved in next door. Initially welcomed with open arms, his actions soon created absolute chaos threatening the safety of everyone in the area. Without proper notification, he began demolishing a major supporting wall on our property, the major load supporting wall of our master bedroom. At one period of time he had constructed a hose from his roof diverting water into our upstairs studio, causing several thousand dollars damage to our property and undermining its structural integrity.
In addition to outline the lack of building experience, we discovered that the intermediate wall lacked the required fire rating, a critical oversight that endangered everyone's safety. Despite our urgent endeavours to seek resolution the problem with the builder and contacting the council, we were informed the builder's inspector had already signed off on the construction, providing no recourse and leaving us open to fire.
In spite of receiving a legal decision in their favour and recompense for the damages incurred, the toll was immeasurable and created many unpleasant memories. They decided to sell their beloved home, we mourned the loss of our garden refuge, another victim of government negligence and dodgy building practices. The lack of oversight and governance by government and local council created the environment for this tragedy to unfold, highlighting the necessity for more extensive accountability and protection for owners.
As we grapple with the consequence of this ordeal, we are left to consider: What assistance do house owners have when their greatest financial investment are threatened by the carelessness of dodgy builders?
Where to Commence - Pick the Competent and Worst Builders in Australia..?
The Insolvent, Accused, and the Collapse of Building CompanyToplace's Billion-Dollar Empire
from July 2023
A Suspect adviser played a pivotal part in secured his insolvent company a highly lucrative job — oversight of the dissolution of Accused Jean Nassif's property empire, which went under liabilities exceeding $1.24 billion, including $88.5 million owed to suppliers and sub-contractors.
Brand New disclosures about the downfall of Nassif's Toplace corporation have surfaced in documents shown to the Australian Commonwealth Federal Court this week by bankruptcy administrators from dVT Group of Companies. These evidence show that secured creditors such as offshore lenders in tax havens, are owed one thousand million.
More Relevant Info:
Riad Tayeh, and Toplace's Skyview building development in Castle Hill.
Creditors without Security, have made claims with a total est. $244 million.
Court filings also indicate that Riad Tayeh, company founder of dVT Group, played a central duty in securing his companies designation as administrators. Despite being declared bankrupt in June last year with millions in debt in debt, Tayeh, now a consultant, and colleague Antony Resnick went to essential business meetings with Toplace executives in the period leading up to the firm's appointment as bankruptcy managers.
As well as those attending the meetings on June 2020 was Jean Nassif's 29-year-old daughter, Ashlyn, whose Certificate to practice Law has been suspended while she fights charges relating to fraud bound to Toplace's Skyview development in Castle Hill.
Riad Tayeh was charged financially bankrupt in May 2022.
Just days before the meetings, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Jean Nassif, 55, who fled Sydney for 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 managers for Toplace, following a resolution passed by Jean Nassif, its sole director The administrators now face the task of handling one of NSW's 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 a staff member suggested there may be another $400 million in loans involving Nassif entities that are not yet under administration. 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. Paul Meek, 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.