Owner fined $52,000 for demolishing home
<!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} p {mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> The owner of a unique Port Melbourne property has been penalised more than $52,000 for illegally demolishing his own home. Melbourne Magistrate Court fined Hodo Zeqaj, 66, who had arranged and authorised the demolition of his 68-year old property on Barak Road on June 29 last year.
The property is located in unique estate known as Fisherman’s Bend. It was built by the Housing Commission between 1939 and 1942 after a design competition.
During the scheduled tear down of the property, neighbors tried to stop three men who were equipped with an excavator and a chainsaw. Two of the men were a son and nephew of Zeqaj. Witnesses told Magistrate Phillip Goldberg that the men were “verbally aggressive” towards neighbours when they tried to stop the men from demolishing the house.
Prosecutor John Hoey said Nick Kingsford, owner of the attached adjoining house, pleaded with the men to stop but they ignored his requests until a council officer arrived.
He described the demolition as a “deliberate act” by Zeqaj who had avoided the site - an allegation he denied - and “allowed others to act on his behalf”. Zejaq has pleaded guilty to four charges that included demolishing without a planning and a building permit.
Defence lawyer Graeme Steart said the owner had planned a double townhouse for the site. He decided it was better to “pull it down” and present “a nice clean site to work with”. Zejaq had arranged for a demolition contractor to do the work for $5000. He said he thought the contractor would arrange for the permits.
Zeqaj was convicted and fined $45,000 with $7500 costs.