The real estate agent accidentally set fire to the home just before the scheduled open house, resulting in the complete destruction of the property.
The real estate accidentally burned down a home that she had been helping to sell.
The incident occurred when the real estate agent, known as Julie Bundock, who was overseeing the sale of a multi-million dollar property in a Sydney suburb in May 2019, accidentally burned it down.
During a routine visit to the property, she noticed bedsheets left out to dry on the deck by the current tenants.
In an attempt to tidy up, Bundock moved the sheets and placed them on a downstairs shelf. Unbeknownst to her, the shelf was positioned below an electric light, which she subsequently turned on.
Approximately 20 minutes later, a significant fire erupted in the house, believed to have been sparked by the heated shelf and bed sheets catching fire from the wall-mounted light.
The fire engulfed the entire house, valued at AU $3 million (about US $1.96 million), resulting in the destruction of both the structure and its contents. Thankfully, no injuries were reported in the blaze.
After the incident, Peter, the homeowner, sued Bundock in court.
House owner Peter Alan Bush took legal action against Bundock, claiming negligence. In court, Bundock admitted her role in the incident, expressing remorse for her actions.
Chief Judge in Equity Justice David Hammerschlag determined that Bundock had actively created the risk of fire and ordered her employer, Domain Residential Northern Beaches, to compensate Mr. Bush AU $740,642 and the tenants a combined $121,475.
Judge Hammerschlag criticized Bundock's demeanor as an 'aggressive and uncooperative witness' and emphasized her heightened awareness of causing the catastrophe during the trial.
Despite attempts by Domain Residential Northern Beaches to shift some blame onto Mr. Bush and the tenants for not informing the agency about the shelf's heating issue, the court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, holding Bundock primarily responsible for the damages incurred.
