Subversiveness Backside of Shared Wall: A Neighbour Calamitous Impact on Our Award winning Refuge

Betrayal Behind of Shared Partition: A Neighbour's Disastrous Effect on Our Peaceful Sanctuary


In the Central Business District of Lawrence street Melbourne we had renovated our loving sanctuary of greater than 20 years, a secret special architecturally designed house and garden in the middle of the storm of its streets. For greater than 20 years, it was a loving refuge of comfort, a haven of shimmering beauty and sanctuary.

As an esteemed architect, my friend had tirelessly provided to our community with numerous municipal design proposals, but of these none were more beloved that the progressive design of the Lawrence Street, Alexandria, Sydney, Victorian style conversion. Featured in the Sydney Morning Herald, it was applauded as a masterpiece, weaving old-world charm with modern-day elegance.

The Victorian transformation was a testament to architectural creativity—a three-story addition and renovations to a Victorian semi-attached, offering a home for a small family and a home-office or studio. The highlight was the light tower, high above the roof with suspended stairs, acquiring the essence of the south east and north west skies. French sash windows adorned the main bedroom, while timber casement windows embellish in the bathroom welcomed views and filtered light.

However, our beautiful lifestyle was shattered when a new neighbour, a fencing contractor, moved in next door. Initially welcomed, his actions soon turned our lives upside down threatening the safety of everyone in the area. Without due diligence, he began demolishing a major supporting wall on our property, the main load supporting wall of our master bedroom. At one period of time he had constructed a hose from his roof diverting water into our studio, 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 endangered our well-being. Despite our urgent attempts to rectify 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 getting a legal judgement in their favour and compensation for restitution, the toll was abysmal and created many unpleasant memories. They were forced to sell their beloved home, we mourned the loss of our award winning sanctuary, another victim of proper government oversight and dodgy construction practices. The lack of proper oversight and appropriate governance by government and local council allowed this tragedy to unfold, highlighting the demand for more responsibilities and protection for owners.

As we grapple with the effects of this ordeal, we are left to consider: What help do owners have when their sanctuaries are made vulnerable by the negligence of others?

Where to Start - Pick the Capable and Incompetent Builders in Commonwealth of Australia..?

The Failed, Fugitive, and the end of Building CompanyToplace

from Oct 2023

A Failed building adviser was comprehensively concerned with acquiring his insolvent company a very moneymaking construction contract — managing the dissolution of Insolvent Jean Nassif's corporate empire, which went under financial obligations surpassing $1.24 billion, incl. $88.5 million due to suppliers and onsite builders.

Brand New revelations about the ruin of Nassif's Toplace corporation have come out in evidence given to the Australian Federal Court this month by bankruptcy managers from dVT Group. These papers reveal that secured creditors such as offshore lenders in tax havens, are owed $1 billion.


Additional Applicatory Information:

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

Unsecured creditors, have filed claims totalling an est. quarter of a billion.
Federal Court filed claims also indicate that Riad Tayeh, business founder of dVT Group of companies, which played a fundamental duty in assuring his companies assignment as administrators. Despite being proclaimed financially bankrupt in June last year with several million in debt, Tayeh, now a business advisor, and business colleague Antony Resnick attended crucial meetings with Toplace executives in the period leading up to the firm's appointment as bankruptcy administrators.
Included in those at the meetings on Aug 2019 was Jean Nassif's 29-year-old daughter, Ashlyn, whose legal certificate was suspended while she fights charges related to a $150 million fraud bound to Toplace's Skyview building development in Castle Hill.

Riad Tayeh was charged insolvent in July last year.

Just before these 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 administrators for Toplace. by Jean Nassif, Toplace's sole director, via email just hours prior. The administrators now face the task of handling one of Australia's largest corporate collapses.

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 The administrators noted difficulty in unravelling the debt due to "intermingling of financial records," 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.