Real estate agent Julie Bundock had a relationship with client before she accidentally torched his $3.2M home before an open house inspection

The real estate agent who accidentally set fire to a $3.2 million home before an open house inspection had a previous relationship with the owner, court documents reveal.

Julie Bundock’s employer, Domain Residential Northern Beaches, was ordered to pay $862,315 to the landlord and four tenants for negligently causing a fire that completely destroyed the home.

It can now be revealed that Ms Bundock was previously in a relationship with Peter Bush, who was preparing to sell the house at the time of the incident. news.com.au reported.

When cross-examined by Mr Bush’s lawyer Dominic Priestley SC, Ms Bundock said the two had a relationship when they were younger and were still friends in 2019.

Ms. Bundock is not charged with any criminal wrongdoing and there is no indication that she acted with malicious intent when she accidentally started the fire.

Earlier this week, Daily Mail Australia revealed Ms Bundock owned two coastal properties herself.

Northern Beaches estate agent accidentally burned down Avalon Beach house in 2019 after noticing the current tenants had left bedding drying on the patio.

She threw the sheets on a shelf in a downstairs room, then turned on a light placed above the shelf.

Twenty minutes later, a fire broke out and destroyed the entire house. It is believed that the light heated the bedding until it ignited.

Ms Bundock, who no longer works for Domain Residential Northern Beaches, has an extensive property portfolio on Sydney’s north shore.

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.

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.

“I just threw them there Pete, right in front of the light on the wall. I think that’s what started the fire.

In court on Tuesday, Ms Bundock’s employer argued that the four tenants who were renting the property at the time were responsible for the fire.

The defense said the tenants left the house “messy”, forcing Ms Bundock to remove bedding from the terrace before the open day.

Under cross-examination, Ms Bundock said the house was “particularly messy” that day and made it “presentable for sale”.

Chief Justice David Hammerschlag ruled 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.

Mr. Hammerschlag ordered Ms. Bundock’s employer to pay Mr. Bush $740,642 for the loss of his home and a total of $121,475 to the four tenants, plus interest.