Ryde Council takes couple’s family home for a park and still hasn’t paid

An elderly couple is facing financial peril after being forced to pay thousands of dollars every month in mortgages and bills for a home they no longer own after it was seized by a Sydney council to expand a park.

An elderly couple is facing financial peril after being forced to pay thousands of dollars every month in mortgages and bills for a home they no longer own after it was seized by Ryde Council to expand a park.

Raymond Azizi, 81, and his wife Najibe, 71, are being booted out of their family home after the council resumed their property and two adjoining homes owned by their sons’ company.

The resumption is to expand nearby existing Blenheim Park, but so far, the family has not been paid a cent in compensation.

“It is the uncertainty that is the worst thing. You can’t sell, because the council has taken it. You can’t buy another one because the council hasn’t paid,” the couple’s son Patrick Azizi said.

Raymond Azizi and wife Najibe pictured at their North Ryde home. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

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“We can’t rent out the others because they are no longer ours and but we have to keep paying all the bills.”

To add to their distress, the retired couple have now found a letter from Ryde Council pinned to their front door warning it intended to change the locks

However a Ryde Council spokesman said it was “misleading” and “inaccurate” to say the council had not paid any compensation. He said the council is following due process and looking after ratepayers’ interests. He said the council was unaware the couple were living in one of the homes. But independent Ryde councillor Roy Maggio said he didn’t believe due process had been followed and warned the situation had been “politicised”.

The 25-storey development across the road from the Azizi residence. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Ryde mayor Jerome Laxale did not respond to requests for comment.

The Catch 22 situation engulfing the Azizi family does not look like being resolved quickly. Ryde Council has been caught up in an ugly dispute with the Valuer General’s office over the amount of compensation it will have to pay.

Lawyers acting for Ryde Council have been warned to back off and apologise by state government lawyers over correspondence to one of the Valuer General’s consultants was deemed “inappropriate” and “expressly designed to threaten and intimidate” the consultant into lowering the valuation to suit Ryde Council.

A letter from council pictured which was left on the front door of the family home. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The property Ryde Council has acquired but not yet paid for. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The Council spokesman said it had until close of business next Monday February 4 to consider the Valuer General’s determination and take the next steps.

That will be nearly six months since the Azizi’s home was acquired and the tenants of the adjoining properties had to move out.

Trouble erupted for the Azizi family in 2016 after they put in a proposal to build multistorey apartments on the site cornering Epping and Blenheim roads.

The proposal was rejected and instead Ryde Council rezoned the properties for open space. Madison Marcus lawyer Paul Jayne acting for the Azizi family said the way the land was taken was highly unusual and the council had been “combative” to deal with.

“We have asked the council for a forward payment to give the family some debt relief but nothing has happened,” Mr Jayne said. “The family have been put under enormous financial and emotional stress.”

A spokesman for the Office of the Valuer General said it was a matter for the department and Finance Minister Victor Dominello would not be commenting.

The letter left for the couple.

Originally published as Ryde Council takes couple’s family home for a park and still hasn’t paid