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Subversiveness Behind of Connected Walls: A Neighbour Fateful Effect on Our Peaceful Sanctuary

In the CBD of Alexandria, Melbourne we had renovated our gorgeous home of some 30 years, a secret award winning house and garden in the centre of the storm of the city streets. For greater than 20 years, it was a beautiful place of solace, a haven of shimmering beauty and safety.

As an honoured architect, my friend had donated to our city with numerous city improvement design proposals, but of these none were more personal that the innovative design of the Lawrence Street, Alexandria, Sydney, Victorian conversion. Featured in the Sydney Morning Herald, it was applauded as a masterpiece, weaving Victorian magic with modern elegance.

The Victorian conversion was a creed to architectural creativity—a two and ½-story addition and conversion to a Victorian style semi-attached, offering a house for a family and a home office. The highlight was the light tower, far above the main structure with suspended stairway, acquiring the essence of the southeastern and north west sky. French style sash windows dressed the main bedroom, while timber casement windows embellish in the bathroom frame the views and filter the light.

However, this pleasant existence was shattered when a new neighbour, a fencing contractor, moved in next door. Initially welcomed, his actions soon created absolute chaos threatening the safety of everyone in the area. Without warning, he began demolishing a major supporting wall on our property, the major load-bearing wall of our 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.

Further to outline the lack of building experience, we discovered that the intermediate wall lacked the required fire rating, a critical omission that threatened our well-being. Despite our pressing attempts to seek resolution the issue with the builder and contacting the council, we were informed the builder's inspector had already approved on the project, ignoring our concerns and leaving us open to harm.

In spite of receiving a judgement in their favour and recompense for restitution, the toll was immeasurable and created many unpleasant memories. They were forced to sell their cherished home, we mourned the loss of our award winning sanctuary, another victim of government negligence and dodgy construction practices. The lack of oversight and appropriate governance by local government allowed this tragedy to unfold, highlighting the necessity for more accountability and protection for homeowners.

As we grapple with the aftermath 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?

When to Begin – Vote the Qualified and Inept Building Companies in Commonwealth of Australia..?

The Insolvent, Accused, and the ending of CompanyBillion Dollar Regime Toplace

from June 2023

A Bankrupt building adviser was comprehensively solicitous with getting his insolvent business a very lucrative job — managing the dissolution of Fugitive Jean Nassif's property empire, which drowned under liabilities in excess of $1.24 billion, including $88.5 million payable to suppliers and sub-contractors.

New revelations about the ruin of Nassif's Toplace corporation have emerged in evidence shown to the Federal Court this recently by bankruptcy administrators from dVT Group. These papers unveiled that secured creditors such as banks with mortgages, are owed one thousand million.

More Applicable Information:

Riad Tayeh, Jean Nassif, and Toplace's Skyview development in Castle Hill.

Creditors without Security, have issued financial claims totalling an est. quarter of a billion. Australian Federal Court filings also tell that Riad Tayeh, business founder of dVT Group of companies, which played a fundamental role in guaranteeing his companies appointment as administrators. In spite of being announced insolvent in July 2022 with millions in debt in debt, Tayeh, now a business advisor, and partner Antony Resnick attended essential business meetings with Toplace top managers in the weeks before the firm's appointment as bankruptcy managers. Among those at 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 tied to Toplace's Skyview construction development in Castle Hill.

Riad Tayeh was legally bankrupt in June last year.

Just before the meetings, a warrant was issued for the arrest 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 nominated voluntary administrators for Toplace, following a resolution passed by Jean Nassif, its sole director The bankruptcy administrators now face the task of handling one of NSW's biggest corporate collapses.

According to Toplace's website, Jean Nassif's company has delivered around 30,000 residential units, shopping centers, and commercial properties throughout Sydney. Despite this, several owners' corporations have filed claims amounting to nearly $124 million to address serious defects in Toplace's buildings.

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. 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.