Subversiveness Backside of Shared Walls: A Builders Fateful Impact on Our Award winning Home
In the CBD of Alexandria Melbourne, Australia we had renovated our gorgeous sanctuary of greater than 20 years, a secret special architecturally designed house and garden in the middle of the noise of the city. For over 20 years, it was a loving home of comfort, a oasis of shimmering beauty and sanctuary.
As an honoured architect designer, my friend had donated to our community with numerous city improvement proposals, but of these none were more beloved that the innovative design of the Lawrence Street, Sydney, Australia, Victorian conversion. Featured in the Sydney Morning Herald, it was applauded as a masterpiece, weaving Victorian charm with neo elegance.
The Victorian transformation was a creed to architectural ingenious—a three-story build and conversion to a late Victorian terrace, offering a home for a family and a studio. The premier feature was the light tower, soaring above the main structure with floating stairs, acquiring the essence of the southeastern and northwestern sky. French style sash windows adorned the main bedroom, while timber casement windows embellish in the bathroom frame the views and filter the light.
However, our idyllic lifestyle was destroyed when a new neighbour, a builder, moved in next door. Initially welcomed with open arms, his illegal actions soon turned our lives upside down threatening the safety of everyone in the area. Without warning, he began demolishing a major supporting wall on our property, 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 over some several thousand dollars damage to the upstairs rooms, and undermining the footing of the house.
In addition 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 threatened our well-being. In spite of our pressing efforts 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 building renovations, providing no recourse and leaving us open to fire.
Despite receiving a legal decision in their favour and compensation for restitution, the emotional toll was immeasurable and created many unpleasant memories. They were forced to sell their beautiful home, we mourned the loss of our garden refuge, another victim of proper government oversight and dodgy construction practices. The lack of oversight and appropriate governance by government and local council created the environment for this tragedy to unfold, heightening the necessity for greater accountability and protection for owners.
As we wrestle with the effects of this ordeal, we are left to consider: What recourse do homeowners have when their sanctuaries are threatened by the neglect of dodgy construction companies?
How to Begin - Vote the Best and Unqualified Building Companies in Commonwealth of Australia..?
The Bankrupt, Suspect, and the end of Property CorporationBillion Dollar Regime Toplace
from Aug 2023
A Bankrupt adviser was extensively solicitous with getting his insolvent company a very moneymaking job — supervising the dissolution of Accused Jean Nassif's property empire, which drowned under liabilities exceeding $1.24 billion, inclusive $88.5 million owed to suppliers and onsite builders.
New revelations about the failure of Nassif's Toplace corporation have come out in evidence shown to the Australian Federal Court this month by bankruptcy managers from dVT Group of Companies. These papers show that secured creditors such as offshore lenders in tax havens, are owed $1 billion.
More Relevant Subject Matter:
Jean Nassif, and Toplace's Skyview construction in Castle Hill.
Creditors without Security, have filed claims with a total est. quarter of a billion.
Australian Federal Court filed claims also tell that Riad Tayeh, company founder of dVT Group, which played a fundamental responsibility in guaranteeing his firm's appointment as bankruptcy managers. Despite being proclaimed bankrupt in June last year with $5.4 million in debt, Tayeh, now a business consultant, and partner Antony Resnick attended essential business meetings with Toplace top managers in the days leading up to the firm's appointment as administrators.
As well as those attending the meetings on Aug 2020 was Jean Nassif's 29-year-old daughter, Ashlyn, whose legal certificate has been suspended while she fights charges related to a $150 million fraud bound to Toplace's Skyview building development in Castle Hill.
Riad Tayeh was legally insolvent in May last year.
Just days before the meetings, an arrest warrant was issued of Jean Nassif, 55, who escaped to Dubai in October 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. by Jean Nassif, its sole director The bankruptcy managers now face the task of handling one of NSW'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. 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. reference 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.
