AFL player turned mortgage broker Anthony McDonald and his TV star wife Bridget McIntyre are being sued over their maintenance of a prestige rental property.
The couple are accused of letting the plants of a property they were renting in upmarket Toorak, Melbourne, to overgrow to a point they broke through the roof of the sunroom.
The excessive growth allegedly caused moisture to build up to the point the Victorian mansion, estimated to be worth nearly $6million, became uninhabitable due to a mould outbreak.
A statement filed to the court stated the owners of the home were seeking compensation of $454,000.63 for the damage caused to the property during the period it was rented to the couple.
AFL player turned mortgage broker Anthony McDonald and TV star wife Bridget McIntyre (pictured) are being sued for around 450,000 over a rental property
The couple are accused of letting the plants of a Toorak property they were renting (pictured) overgrow to a point they broke through the roof of the sunroom.
McDonald and McIntyre had rented the four bedroom house in Orrong Road, Toorak between June 2016 and November 2020.
The property’s owners Adrian and Gabrielle Pick launched legal action after inspecting the house.
They claim the couple breached their rental agreement by failing to adequately maintain the property.
According to the Herald Sun, the Picks are seeking reimbursement for the cost of repairing the house and garden as well as loss of rental income while the property, which is estimated to be worth up to $6 million, was being repaired.
Former AFL player Antony McDonald (pictured) is now a mortgage broker
The statement filed to the court stated they are seeking damages of $454,000.63 broken down as $142,903 for loss of rental income, $5,600 for garden repairs and maintenance, $54,700 for mould remediation works, $119,800 for construction works, $33,000 for painting, $29,000 for replacement and repair of curtains and blinds, $22,000 for interior repairs and $28,000 for external repairs.
They claim that as part of the rental agreement, the couple were obliged to take care of, keep clean and avoid damaging the home, look after the garden and notify the owners or their property manager of any damage as soon as it was found.
In September 2020, the couple told the property manager the home could no longer be lived in after suffering mould damage.
A condition report by the property manager, RT Edgar, in October 2020 found the home had mould growth in the lounge room, sitting room, sunroom and bedrooms.
They also discovered that plants had grown into the sunroom from the roof guttering, the garden was overgrown and the gutters were full of leaves.
The Picks – owners of the property – are seeking $454,000.63 for the damage caused to the home while the couple were renting it from June 2016 to November 2020
An additional report carried out in November found a cracked and damaged Masonite wall in the garage and water damage in the laundry.
Court documents state that McDonald and McIntyre failed ‘to perform adequate regular maintenance of the property, including cleaning and dust removal, which resulted in moisture ingress and the growth of mould within the property; failing to clear the roof gutters of leaf litter and debris; (and) allowing vegetation to grow internally into the sunroom via the external roof gutters.’
It is also stated they did not ‘appropriately water and maintain the garden area of the property, which resulted in damage to garden beds, ornamental grasses, hardscaping, including paving and other pathways, the house, as a consequence of overgrown plants and shrubbery; and garden fixtures and structures, including artwork, ponds, gates, fences, sculptures and ornaments.’
In 2002 after more than 100 games with the Melbourne Football Club, McDonald switched the jersey for a job as a director and broker.
His wife, Bridget McIntire is an accomplished Australian journalist and presenter currently working as a freelancer.
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