A property developer who served time for supplying cocaine has lost a court battle to demolish and rebuild a luxury property in a ritzy Sydney suburb.
Joseph Frangieh, who ran the boutique builders InStyle Developments, submitted an application to demolish and rebuild a luxury waterside property in Russell Lea, in Sydney’s inner-west, in August last year.
But the plans were rejected by the NSW Land and Environment Court last month after a judge found his $1.23million estimated works were not in keeping with the character of the area.
Mr Frangieh bought the property with his wife Sharon in November 2022 for $5.3million.
They submitted plans the following year to City of Canada Bay Council to knock down the property and rebuild with a carport underneath a large cantilevered balcony with a pool, deck area and alfresco dining space.
The couple also wanted to remove 1.8m of landscaping at the rear to improve their view of the ‘Bay Run’ – a popular walk around that particular section of the Parramatta River.
But neighbours in the well-heeled area where the average house price is almost $3million complained that the development would infringe on their privacy and reduce their natural light.
The development application ended up in the Land and Environment Court where lawyers for the council argued ‘that the elevated, cantilevered, pool and deck area is excessive in height, bulk and appearance from the streetscape and Parramatta River’.
Joseph Frangieh, who ran the boutique builders InStyle Developments, submitted an application to demolish and rebuild a luxury harbourside property in Russell Lea, in Sydney’s inner-west, in August last year. Mr Frangieh bought the property with his wife Sharon in November 2022 for $5.3 million (the couple are pictured together)
They submitted plans the following year to City of Canada Bay council to knock down the property and re-build with a car port underneath a large cantilevered balcony with a pool, deck area and alfresco dining space (pictured: the property’s current balcony)
The court ultimately agreed and rejected the application.
‘I find that the size of the proposed elevated rear structure is a distinctively different design element in this area,’ commissioner Shona Porter ruled.
‘It’s size, cantilevered nature, and variable reduced setbacks to both the side boundary (north-west) and Henley Marine Parade (less than the minimum 4.59m) overwhelm the façade presentation to the public domain and streetscape. ‘
Mr Frangieh did not respond to requests for comment.
It is not the first time Mr Frangieh has developed and sold property in Russell Lea.
In 2015, he sold his former home for a then-suburb record of $3.91 million before moving to Lane Cove in 2016.
Mr Frangieh and his wife Sharon first listed their Lane Cove mansion for $8.8 million in 2019, according to news.com.au.
The five-bedroom home boasted a five-car garage, a floodlit tennis court, a solar-heated swimming pool and almost 2,000 square metres of ‘resort-style grounds’.
The couple also wanted to remove 1.8m of landscaping at the rear to improve their view of the ‘Bay Run’ – a popular walk around that particular section of Parramatta River (pictured)
Mr Frangieh and his wife Sharon first listed their Lane Cove mansion for $8.8 million in 2019. The five-bedroom home boasted a five-car garage, a floodlit tennis court, a solar-heated swimming pool and almost 2,000 square metres of ‘resort-style grounds’ (pictured)
It eventually sold for $5.8million in February 2021.
Mr Frangieh previously listed himself as the director of InStyle Homes but the company’s website was taken down at some point last year.
His name appeared on the Panama Papers offshore leaks database in 2016 where he was listed as a major shareholder of the Seychelles-based Silver Tiger Enterprises Limited.
His personal website, which has since been taken down, said he helped develop ‘low-cost housing in South-Africa which aims to help Lebanese from suffering from the war in the form of disrupted lives, economic hardship and traumatised children’.
Another defunct website describes him as ‘an inspiration in the world of investment’
Mr Frangieh’s name appeared on the Panama Papers offshore leaks database in 2016 where he was listed as a major shareholder of the Seychelles-based Silver Tiger Enterprises Limited (pictured: Mr Frangieh in a recent picture)
Mr Frangieh previously listed himself as the director of InStyle Homes but the company’s website was taken down at some point last year (pictured: the firm’s former website)
‘Joseph Frangieh has helped many people achieve their dream of financial freedom through property investment and development,’ the website states.
In 2003 Mr Frangieh and his brother Raymond pleaded guilty to cocaine supply charges.
Later that year their father Sayed Frangieh was reportedly gunned down in the doorway of the family’s Merrylands home in a case of mistaken identity.
Underworld figure Ken Tan was sentenced to 12 years and fours months in 2009 after pleading guilty to manslaughter after arranging for two men to visit the house following a road rage incident involving Mr Frangieh’s son Raymond.
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