Toplace developer Jean Nassif in stoush with City of Sydney
Sydney property developer Jean Nassif has become embroiled in yet another legal stoush which threatens to leave hundreds of homebuyers stranded.
NSW
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Lamborghini-loving property developer Jean Nassif is caught up in yet another legal stoush through one of his companies that threatens to leave hundreds of homebuyers temporarily stranded.
The Toplace founder — who famously used Instagram to show himself gifting his wife a $480,000 Lamborghini — is taking City of Sydney council to court over who will foot the bill for a set of traffic lights at a 393-apartment development in Rosebery.
In documents filed in NSW Land and Environment Court, Mr Nassif’s lawyers claim his company is being wrongly burdened with road work costs at the site, at 67-77 Epsom Rd.
They also claim people should be allowed to move in to the Jolyn Place development while other roadworks are completed.
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While Toplace claims the costs were covered in a previous agreement with another developer, the City of Sydney says Toplace needs to complete the works.
Otherwise, apartment owners won’t be able to move in by the September 2020 completion date.
City of Sydney lawyers said allowing people to move in before the road upgrades are complete “is not considered to be in the public interest”.
“The delay of the intersection until final occupation enables the development to be occupied on an interim basis,” court documents said.
“This is not considered to be orderly and economic use of land as the development will be fully operable before infrastructure required as a consequence of the development is provided.”
A conciliation conference held November 6 failed, with a City of Sydney spokesman saying they expect the matter will go to a full hearing.
A Toplace spokeswoman said: “It is disappointing we had to refer the matter to the court to obtain a resolution, as our preference is to work with council”.
The Rosebery case is not the only dispute Mr Nassif’s companies are involved in.
Mr Nassif’s company JKN Para 1 is being taken to the NSW Land and Environment Court by owners of Parramatta Rise.
Property owners claim the company built the 28-storey building using illegal combustible cladding, while the company says it is compliant with state laws.
Speaking about the planning system in general, Mr Nassif told The Sunday Telegraph last week dealing with government “has become increasingly difficult in recent years with both government officials and politicians isolating themselves from any kind of meaningful discussion with the property sector”.