A recent court judgment has sent shockwaves through the real estate community; an Australian real estate agent inadvertently ignited a multimillion-dollar property while preparing for an open house event. The unfortunate incident, which occurred in an upscale Sydney suburb, was detailed in a ruling handed down by Justice David Hammerschlag of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
According to the court documents, the fire broke out on the afternoon of May 25, 2019, at the property where Julie Bundock, acting as the real estate agent for its sale, was present. The property, nestled in an affluent neighbourhood, belonged to homeowner Peter Alan Bush, whose residence suffered substantial damage due to the blaze.
In the ruling, Domain Residential Northern Beaches, Bundock’s employer, was ordered to pay more than 850,000 Australian dollars in damages, translating to over $550,000 in US currency. The majority of this compensation is designated for Bush to cover the loss of his house, while a portion will go towards reimbursing the four tenants who lost their belongings in the fire.
The property, valued at approximately $3 million in Australian currency, was engulfed in flames allegedly ignited by a sequence of events involving Bundock’s actions. The court determined that approximately 20 minutes before the fire erupted, Bundock placed laundry, including bedsheets and a quilt cover, on a steel shelf near a light fixture she had switched on.
This seemingly innocent act, the court concluded, led to the ignition of the bedsheets, resulting in the devastating fire. Bush recounted that Bundock confessed to him shortly after the incident, expressing her belief that her actions caused the fire.
In the judgment, Justice Hammerschlag criticized Bundock’s conduct, describing her as an “aggressive and uncooperative witness” while highlighting the foreseeable risk associated with her actions. Despite attempts to reach Bundock and Domain Residential for comment, they remained unavailable for response at the time of reporting.
