Neighbour confronted over alleged Tesla act

A Sydney homeowner filmed the dramatic moment he confronted his neighbour who he accused of committing a dog act on his Tesla.

A Sydney homeowner filmed the dramatic moment he confronted his neighbour who he accused of keying his Tesla after he parked it in a visitor’s parking space at a nearby unit block.

Garnet Mae, a 52-year-old director from McMahon’s Point, on Sydney’s lower North Shore, obtained footage of the alleged vandalism from the in-built security camera in his Tesla.

It appeared to show a neighbour walking past the car at night and dragging a key down the side of it.

Mr Mae later confronted an elderly man and filmed the interaction.

“It looks like you keyed my car,” he can be heard saying in the footage. “My red Tesla. You didn’t realise, but the car films. It makes a video, so you keying my car, I have video evidence of you keying my car.”

“I was just walking past it,” the man replied.

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The ugly moment was caught on camera.

However, Mr Mae continued to confront the alleged vandal

“No – you can see that you’re deliberately hitting the car with keys,” he said.

He offered the man the option of paying $800 for the damage upfront, warning that he would call the police if he didn’t hand the cash over.

Mr Mae then filmed himself walking away with what appeared to be a wad of cash.

“$800 from the neighbour who scratched my Tesla,” he said.

Mr Mae said he parked his Tesla in a spot reserved for visitors at a unit complex around the corner from his home when it was allegedly keyed.

Parking was hard to find on his street and a resident of the complex had previously told him he was free to use the car park.

Mr Mae filmed himself walking away with a wad of cash

“We woke up the next day and my ex-partner is like the car’s been keyed,” he told the Daily Mail.

He was stunned when he looked at the car’s security camera footage from the night before.

“I was a bit horrified and surprised, but given my recent interactions with neighbours it could have been any number of people who keyed my car.”

He returned to the unit complex and after knocking on some doors was able to track down the alleged vandal.

He explained that he had asked for the $800 to cover the insurance excess, and hadn’t reported the alleged culprit to police.

Mr Mae has had trouble with Sydney neighbours in the past.

He made headlines last December after trying to help his brother resolve a boundary dispute in Redfern.

The brawl aired on A Current Affair.

Tensions escalated when the elderly neighbour allegedly set up a temporary fence, blocking access to Mr Mae’s brother’s bin.

Mr Mae then removed the wire fencing and began chopping a bush on his property with his circular saw.

Footage showed the neighbour approaching Mr Mae before yelling “I will take your f***ing head off” and allegedly grabbing the electric saw off him.

Mr Mae stayed calm as the neighbour allegedly pushed him around the outside space and struggled for the saw.

Originally published as Neighbour confronted over alleged Tesla act