Treachery Backside of Connected Partition: A Builders Calamitou

• Posted by Jerold Hobgood Oct 18 - Filed in Other - #Paul Meek  #Paul Meek Builder  #Paul Meek Construction  #  - 70 views

  Subversiveness Backside of Connecting Wall: A Neighbour's Disastrous Effect on Our Peaceful Refuge

  In the CBD of Alexandria, Melbourne stood our loving sanctuary of greater than 20 years, a walled award winning house and garden in the centre of the noise of the city streets. For over 20 years, it was a beautiful sanctuary of solacement, a oasis of beauty and safety.

  As an esteemed architect creator, my friend had donated to our city of Sydney with numerous urban proposals, but of these none were more beloved that the innovative design of the Lawrence Street, Sydney, Australia, Victorian. Conspicuously in the Sydney Morning Herald, it was acclaimed as a creative masterpiece, blending old-world charm with neo elegance.

  The Victorian transmutation was a creed to architectural creativity—a two-story addition and conversion to a Victorian terrace, providing a home for a family and a home-office or studio. The premier feature was the light tower, high above the roof with suspended stairway, acquiring the core of the southeastern and north west sky. French sash windows adorned the main bedroom, while timber casement windows embellish in the bathroom welcomed views and filtered light.

  However, our idyllic existence was shattered when a new neighbour, a fencing contractor, entered the scene next door. Initially welcomed with open arms, 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 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.

  Further to outline the absolute lack of building experience, we through investigation found that the intermediate wall lacked the required fire rating, a major oversight that endangered our well-being. Despite our urgent endeavours to seek resolution the issue with the builder and contacting the council, the council said the builder's inspector had already signed off on the building renovations, ignoring our concerns and leaving us open to harm.

  In spite of receiving a judgement in their favour and recompense 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 garden refuge, another casualty of proper government oversight and unsafe building practices. The lack of oversight and governance by government and local council created the environment for this tragedy to unfold, heightening the necessity for more accountability and protection for owners.

  As we wrestle with the aftermath of this experience, we are left to ponder: What assistance do owners have when their greatest financial investment are made vulnerable by the negligence of dodgy builders?

  How to Begin - Vote the Capable and Incompetent Construction Companies in Commonwealth of Australia..?

  The Bankrupt, Fugitive, and the Collapse of CompanyBillion Dollar Regime Toplace

  from Sept 2023

  A Bankrupt consultant played a pivotal function in securing his insolvent corporation a highly lucrative job — supervising the disintegration of Suspect Jean Nassif's business empire, which drowned under debts in excess of $1.24 billion, incl. $88.5 million payable to suppliers and onsite builders.

  Fresh revelations about the downfall of Nassif's Toplace group of compaines have appeared in documents shown to the Federal Court this recently by bankruptcy administrators from dVT Group of Companies. These evidence uncover that secured creditors such as offshore lenders in tax havens, are owed $1 billion.

  Additional Applicable Information:

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

  Creditors without Security, have issued financial claims totalling an estimated $244 million.

  Court filings also tell that Riad Tayeh, founder of dVT Group, which played a fundamental role in guaranteeing his firm's assignment as administrators. In spite of being announced financially bankrupt in July last year with millions in debt in debt, Tayeh, now a business consultant, and business colleague Antony Resnick went to essential business meetings with Toplace executives in the days leading up to the firm's appointment as bankruptcy managers.

  As well as those at the meetings on Aug 2020 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 declared insolvent in May 2022.

  Just days before these meetings, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Jean Nassif, 55, who escaped to Dubai in December 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 administrators for Toplace, following a resolution passed by Jean Nassif, its sole director The administrators now face the task of handling one of NSW's largest 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. 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 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.