Ex-Dees star and well-known wife being sued more than $400k over sorry state of $6m Toorak home

A former AFL star and his TV presenter wife claim the dank $6m Toorak home they rented and are being sued over was mouldy since 2018, with it covering their belongings.

Bridget McIntyre and ex-footballer turned mortgage broker Anthony McDonald are locked in a bitter legal battle over a mouldy Toorak rental property.

A former Dees star and his TV presenter wife are locked in a bitter legal battle over a mould riddled multimillion-dollar Toorak home.

Footballer turned mortgage broker Anthony McDonald and his wife, former Postcards presenter, Bridget McIntyre are being sued for more than $400,000 after allegedly failing to look after the rental property.

A County Court writ accuses them of allowing plants to become so overgrown they went through the roof of the sunroom and allowing moisture to build up to the point the stately Victorian residence became uninhabitable with mould.

McDonald and McIntyre rented the four bedroom solid brick Victorian residence in Orrong Road, Toorak between June 2016 and November 2020.

The home’s owners Adrian and Gabrielle Pick have launched legal action against the couple claiming they breached their rental agreement by failing to maintain the property.

The Picks are seeking to recoup the cost of repairing the house and garden as well as loss of rental income while the property, which is estimated to be worth up to $6 million, was being repaired.

The stately Orrong Road, Toorak property, as advertised for lease by RT Edgar in May 2016. Picture: Supplied

According to a statement of claim filed last month, the Picks are chasing $454,000.63 which includes $142,903 for loss of rental income, $5,600 for garden repairs and maintenance, $54,700 for mould remediation works, $119,800 for construction works, $33,000 for painting, $29,000 for replacement and repair of curtains and blinds, $22,000 for interior repairs and $28,000 for external repairs.

They claim that as part of the rental agreement McDonald and McIntyre were obliged to take care of, keep clean and avoid damaging the home, look after the garden and notify the owners or their property manager as soon as possible if any damage occurred.

In September 2020, the McDonalds told the property manager that the home had suffered mould damage and was not habitable.

A condition report by RT Edgar, the property manager, in October 2020 found the home had mould growth in the lounge room, sitting room, sunroom and bedrooms, plants had grown into the sunroom from the roof guttering, the garden was overgrown and the gutters were full of leaves.

It’s claimed the home was so neglected and overgrown it became mouldy and uninhabitable. Picture: Supplied

A further condition report in November also noted a cracked and damaged Masonite wall in the garage and water damage in the laundry.

Court documents claim the damage detailed in the condition reports was caused by McDonald and McIntyre “failing to perform adequate regular maintenance of the property, including cleaning and dust removal, which resulted in moisture ingress and the growth of mould within the property; failing to clear the roof gutters of leaf litter and debris; (and) allowing vegetation to grow internally into the sunroom via the external roof gutters.”

It is also claimed they did not “appropriately water and maintain the garden area of the property, which resulted in damage to garden beds, ornamental grasses, hardscaping, including paving and other pathways, the house, as a consequence of overgrown plants and shrubbery; and garden fixtures and structures, including artwork, ponds, gates, fences, sculptures and ornaments.”

Meanwhile, McDonald and McIntyre are taking action against the Picks in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal claiming they moved out of the Toorak home and suffered damage to their personal belongings because of a pre-existing mould issue in the property.

They are seeking more than $250,000 for the loss of household contents, furniture and personal belongings, the cost of cleaning their personal items, as well as removalists and storage costs.

The couple lodged the VCAT case in 2020 after they moved out of the house alleging the property had a history of mould dating back to 2018 and that the landlords had repeatedly ignored requests over years to fix issues in the home which led to the growth.

McDonald and McIntyre, who were paying $7,500 rent per month for the home, moved to the Yarra Ranges in April 2020 but kept the Toorak lease until November that year.

In September 2020, it is claimed in the VCAT document that McIntyre returned to the Toorak property to find that there was extensive mould inside the home.

“The mould was present in all of the rooms of the premises and had covered most of

the family’s furniture, clothes and other household items that were kept inside,” the claim read.

McDonald and McIntyre are claiming that the Picks breached the Residential Tenancies Act by not keeping the home in good repair and that there were ventilation, moisture and structural issues with the property prior to them moving in.

The case is waiting on a hearing date.

The Picks and McDonald and McIntyre declined to comment when contacted.