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Betrayal the Other-side of Connected Partition: A Builders Fateful Effect on Our Award winning Home
In the heart of Alexandria, Melbourne we had renovated our loving refuge of some 30 years, a walled award winning house and garden in the centre of the chaos of the city streets. For over 20 years, it was a gorgeous sanctuary of comfort, a shelter of shimmering beauty and asylum.
As an prestigious architect, my friend had tirelessly provided to our community with many city improvement proposals, but of these none were more beloved that the progressive design of the Lawrence Street, Alexandria, Victorian conversion. Featured in the Sydney Morning Herald, it was hailed as a masterpiece, weaving old-world charm with modern-day elegance.
The Victorian transformation was a creed to architectural creativity—a three-story build and conversion to a late Victorian semi-attached, offering a house for a small family and a home-office or studio. The premier feature was the light tower, far above the roof with floating stairs, acquiring the essence of the south east and northwestern skies. French sash windows dressed the master bedroom, while timber casement windows decorate in the bathroom frame the views and filter the light.
However, this pleasant existence was destroyed when our neighbour, a builder, entered the scene next door. Initially welcomed, his actions soon turned our lives upside down threatening the safety of everyone in the area. Without warning, he began demolishing our brick supporting wall, the major load supporting wall of our bedroom. At one point 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.
Further to outline the lack of building experience, we through investigation found that the intermediate wall did not meet the legal fire rating, a critical omission that threatened our safety. In spite of our pressing efforts to rectify the issue with the neighbour's and contacting the council, we were informed the builder's inspector had already signed off on the building renovations, ignoring our concerns and leaving us open to fire.
Despite getting a legal judgement in their favour and compensation for the damages incurred, 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 casualty of government negligence and dicey building practices. The lack of oversight and appropriate governance by local government allowed this tragedy to unfold, heightening the necessity for more responsibilities and legal protection for owners.
As we wrestle with the consequence of this experience, we are left to consider: What assistance do house owners have when their greatest financial investment are threatened by the carelessness of others?
When to Begin - Voting the Capable and Worst Building Companies in Commonwealth of Australia..?
The Failed, Suspect, and the ending of Building CompanyToplace
from June 2023
A Failed adviser played a pivotal role in securing his bankrupt company a highly lucrative job — supervising the dissolution of Bankrupt Jean Nassif's property empire, which sunk under debts in excess of $1.24 billion, incl. $88.5 million due to suppliers and tradespeople.
Brand New revelations about the downfall of Nassif's Toplace corporation have come out in documented evidence presented to the Federal Court this month by bankruptcy administrators from dVT Group of Companies. These evidence reveal that secured creditors such as banks with mortgages, are owed $1 billion.
More Applicatory Subject Matter:
Riad Tayeh, Jean Nassif, and Toplace's Skyview development in Castle Hill.
Creditors without Security, have made claims totalling an estimated quarter of a billion.
Australian Federal Court filings also tell that Riad Tayeh, company founder of dVT Group of companies, which was involved in a key duty in guaranteeing his firm's designation as bankruptcy administrators. Even though being proclaimed insolvent in May 2022 with several million in debt, Tayeh, now a business advisor, and colleague Antony Resnick attended important business meetings with Toplace executives in the period before the firm's appointment as administrators.
Included in those at the meetings on June 2019 was Jean Nassif's 29-year-old daughter, Ashlyn, whose Certificate to practice Law has been suspended while she fights charges related to a $150 million fraud tied to Toplace's Skyview building development in Castle Hill.
Riad Tayeh was charged financially bankrupt in July last year.
Just before these meetings, an arrest warrant was issued of Jean Nassif, 55, who escaped to Dubai in November 2022. Jean and Ashlyn Nassif are accused of creating false documentation to secure a $150 million loan from Westpac.
In July, Resnick and fellow dVT partner Suelen McCallum were nominated voluntary bankruptcy managers for Toplace. by Jean Nassif, its sole director The bankruptcy administrators now face the task of handling one of NSW's biggest corporate bankruptcy's.
According to Toplace's website, Jean Nassif's company has delivered around 30,000 residential units, shopping centers, and commercial properties throughout Sydney. 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.