A high-flying Sydney real estate agent who accidentally burned down a $3.2 million home while preparing for an open house owns two coastal properties herself.
Northern Beach real estate agent Julie Bundock accidentally burned down the Avalon Beach home in 2019 after noticing the current tenants had left bedding on the patio to dry.
She threw the sheets onto a shelf in a downstairs room, then turned on a light above the shelf, news.com.au reported.
Twenty minutes later, a fire broke out and destroyed the entire house. It is believed that the light heated the bedding until it ignited.
Julie Bundock was preparing for an open house at a four-bedroom home on Sydney’s prestigious northern beaches when she noticed the current tenants had left bedding on the patio to dry.
Northern Beaches estate agent Julie Bundock accidentally burns down Avalon Beach house
Ms Bundock, who no longer works for Domain Residential Northern Beaches, has an extensive property portfolio on Sydney’s north shore, Daily Mail Australia can reveal.
She owns a two-bedroom Queenscliff unit with panoramic views of the nearby beach.
She bought the clifftop property in 2004 for just $785,000 and now rents the unit on vacation rental site Stayz for $695 a night.
“A very private and peaceful setting being the highest point on the hill, enjoy the sound of the waves and watch the sunrises over the ocean and the beautiful sunsets over the hills,” it describes on the property listing .
“Luxuriously appointed with designer finishes, recently renovated with luxury carpets and open plan living through sliding glass doors leading to an expansive wraparound balcony.
“Designer kitchen and bathroom, master king size, second very comfortable, views and integrated features in both. Separate toilet with sink. Office, unlimited WiFi, washer-dryer, closed garage with automatic door.
She also owns a neighboring property in Dee Why which she bought in 2007 for $290,000.
The view from Mrs Bundock’s Queenscliff unit
She owns a two-bedroom Queenscliff unit with panoramic views of the nearby beach.
Mrs Bundock on a trip to Jervis Bay
Mrs. Bundock is no stranger to luxurious living. On social networks, she shares photos of holidays in Vincentia in Jervis Bay and sumptuous excursions in the snow.
On Tuesday, Avalon landlord Peter Bush filed suit in court, alongside the four tenants who lost everything in the 2019 fire.
Mr. Bush told the court that Ms. Bundock made comments like, “Oh my God, Pete, I think I burned your house down,” in the presence of other people.
“I was tidying up. I picked up some sheets that were drying on the porch and threw them on a free-standing metal rack in the bedroom, under the stairs,” Ms. Bundock reportedly told Mr. Bush.
The house, worth an estimated $3 million, and all of its contents were destroyed in the fire.
The real estate agency was ordered to pay more than $850,000 in damages after a high-flying agent accidentally set fire to a multimillion-dollar home just minutes before an open house.
Bundock’s employer, Domain Residential Northern Beaches, was ordered to pay landlord Peter Alan Bush damages
“I just threw them there Pete, right in front of the light on the wall. I think that’s what started the fire.
Chief Justice David Hammerschlag ruled on Tuesday that Ms Bundock “actively created the fire hazard and resulting damage”.
“It is obvious that a fire can be caused by placing or throwing bedding in front of a lit light. This risk was clearly foreseeable and Bundock should have known it,” Hammerschlag said in his decision, also noting that the agent was an “aggressive and uncooperative witness.”
“Her testimony was clearly colored by a heightened awareness that she had caused the disaster,” he said.
He ordered Ms Bundock’s employer, Domain Residential Northern Beaches, to pay Mr Bush $740,642 for the loss of his home and a total of $121,475 to the four tenants.
Mr. Hammerschlag also ordered the agency to pay interest on the total of $862,315, from the May 2019 fire.