Abroad
Veteran Member
Story flagged up by @Keepalowprofile
At intervals, the council forcibly clears the mess around the house. It never take long for the rubbish to start mounting again, and the clear-ups are costly.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-36616920
In a suburb known for its version of Australian glitz and hipness, the Bondi hoarders' fame stands apart for all the wrong reasons.
They are a reminder that behind sunny Australian facades there lies a darker space where people who've fallen through the cracks reside.
The Bobolas family - Mary and daughters Elena and Liana - are no ordinary residents. For more than two decades they have been engaged in an ongoing battle with the local Waverley Council and nearby neighbours.
At issue is the extraordinary amount of junk at their property, just an eight-minute stroll from Bondi Beach.
In a suburb of skyrocketing property prices, the Boonara Avenue house, bought for A$25,000 (£13,400; $18,500) in 1970, has long been piled high with the family's collected items.
Plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, children's toys, car hubcabs, milk crates, mattresses, assorted rubbish, even old surfboards - you name it.
At intervals, the council forcibly clears the mess around the house. It never take long for the rubbish to start mounting again, and the clear-ups are costly.
But [the bill for cleaning up the mess] the council is intent on recouping. On three occasions it has sought orders to have the house forcibly sold and the money recovered. However, on each occasion the family has been able to stave off proceedings and hang on to the house at the last minute.
The first attempt was in February last year, where a bill for $180,000 was covered just prior to sale. On the second occasion, a procedural legal technicality saw the auction again cancelled.
Another attempt sale was scheduled to take place on June 9. The advertisement for the pending auction said the property was "positioned in one of the suburb's most conveniently located streets" and gave potential buyers "the amazing opportunity to build your dream home (subject to council approval)".
But there was a catch. The new owner would be responsible for removing the Bobolas family from what is presumably their existing dream property.
Just 50 minutes before the auction was to begin, the family applied for a stay of proceedings. The next day an extraordinary scene played out in a Sydney court when the family arrived with plastic bags they said contained enough money to cover the currently outstanding clean up costs and legal fees - about A$177,000 in cash.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-36616920