An extraordinary mud-throwing stoush in which an old woman angrily hurled mounds of dirt at merchants next door is just the latest standoff in a long-running neighborhood dispute.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal that the two warring homes in Bankstown, Sydney’s south-west, have been involved in a civil lawsuit over building works for almost a year, with police previously called in the dispute.
A video posted to TikTok, which went viral earlier this week, showed an elderly woman and a man, believed to be her brother, leaving their home after shopkeepers working next door cut the power line. .
The woman quickly begins throwing piles of mud on her neighbor’s new driveway as her brother angrily yells at the workers who have disconnected their power.
Angry neighbor started throwing big piles of mud on his neighbor’s new driveway after his builders turned off the power.
Since moving into their new home in April last year, the young family said there had been ongoing conflict with their neighbors.
The home owner, who wished to remain anonymous, told Daily Mail Australia that her elderly neighbors woke their children by banging on the fence, imitated her toddler crying and complained to council if their bins had been out for a while. too much time.
She said the latest drama unfolded when they installed a new wheelchair-accessible driveway for her brother.
After 12 months of city red tape, cement was finally laid Monday and a power pole connecting to neighboring properties was temporarily shut down.
The tape encircles the newly cemented driveway in Bankstown, which was the focus of a viral dispute earlier this week.
The young family said their neighbors had received a warning about the scheduled power outage. Pictured: A man outside the new owners’ home on Tuesday.
She said the couple next door received advance warning of the disconnection.
“We did not cut off his power, we gave him notice and (electricity provider) Ausgrid also gave him written notice,” he said.
‘Ausgrid, the council and the residents were informed of all the works that are being carried out and we have all the approvals signed. We had to turn the power off and back on in five minutes.
But Daily Mail Australia has been told that Ausgrid had not approved the works, meaning they would not have received official notice before the power went off.
An Ausgrid spokeswoman said they were aware of the incident that resulted in the loss of power.
“Power has since been restored to the property and we are investigating the cause of the disconnection,” he said.
Despite the conflicting claims, the young neighbor said she was “distraught” to see the video posted online after the family gave strict instructions to shopkeepers not to film or distribute the footage.
“It really wasn’t nice” to see senior citizens being made fun of on social media and that she wouldn’t be happy if that happened to her grandparents.
The young family that lives in the residence assures that the works were approved by the city council
Property records show the young family took possession of the land in August 2020, with plans to demolish the existing home and build a new house.
Months later, they took their neighbor to court seeking compensation and a court order to allow them access to his property in order to carry out the works.
Their claim was rejected in Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court on October 28 and the young family was ordered to pay the legal fees of the defendant, their elderly neighbour.
Daily Mail Australia made several unsuccessful attempts to contact the elderly residents. On a call home Wednesday, a woman hung up the phone after claiming she had dialed the wrong number.
The previous driveway had a curb where it met the road, making it difficult for a wheelchair to roll freely to access the house.
Meanwhile, the dispute has divided the internet: some say the elderly neighbors had a right to be upset, while others felt the older woman overreacted.
‘They cut off the power without warning and the lady was cooking. That’s why she got mad,” one person wrote.
Another added: “Well if you cut her power without warning I understand why she’s upset.”
‘Ok, they accidentally cut their power, it will probably be restored. He doesn’t like the fence. It’s not the builders’ fault,’ someone else suggested.
However, the division has also spilled over into the community, with neighbors saying they were “devastated” for the older woman after witnessing the viral video on Tuesday morning.
“She is just the loveliest lady,” said one woman, who wished to remain anonymous.
It’s so sad. It’s devastating.
Neighbor Mel added: “How would you feel if I was your mom on social media?
How would you feel if your power was cut off? It’s sad.
‘I feel bad for her.’