In Sydney, a neighborhood feud erupts over a fence.

Two neighbors in Sydney’s southwest have gone to war over the height of a fence that separates their properties. After Maroun Mauad began work on his new Belfield home in 2021, Mariya Tkachenko and her mother Tamila became embroiled in a bitter feud with their builder neighbor Maroun Mauad. The Tkachenkos claim their old boundary wall was the standard height of 1.8m before Mr Mauad pulled it down. They had resided in the property for 20 years after arriving from Ukraine.

Despite attempts to reach an agreement that would satisfy both neighbors, Mariya and Tamila claim the border fence was built without their permission. Tensions began to rise in November when the Tkachenkos sought legal advice.

“A border fence should be an agreement between the neighbors,” Mariya told news.com.au. “We both have to live there and we both have to look at it.”

“As long as there’s an agreement and everyone is pleased, it doesn’t matter who pays what.”

Mold problems have also been induced by the wall’s design and location. They argue that the demolition and other development on Mr. Mauad’s property have caused pavement fissures.

“By that time, it was less about the border and more about what we’d be seeing from our bedroom windows every day,” Mariya explained.

“We wanted to be satisfied with what we saw. I know it seems little, but staring at a black fence every day is actually rather sad.”

He claims the border fence is 2.4 meters high and that he had consent from the council, as well as his private certifier and surveyor, to construct it at that height.

However, neither Mariya nor Tamila claim to have seen a copy of the documents, nor have their attorneys. He claims that the police have also given him permission to build the border wall. Mr. Mauad said that police were summoned to his house at one point because he refused to stop erecting the barrier. When they came, he said the authorities told him he had all the paperwork he needed to continue working on the boundary barrier. He explained, “I’ve got five kids, I’m busy enough.”

The stress of the situation has pushed them to consider moving after more than five months of back-and-forth.

“I’m quite uncomfortable, and I’m not a person who likes to fight,” Mariya added.

“We’ve lived here for more than 20 years and know a lot of our neighbors.”

Mariya went on to say that it’s not a circumstance that they would desire on anyone.

“We don’t want anyone to have to deal with this.” We work from home, and it’s a nightmare every day,” Mariya continued.

Private certifiers can circumvent councils and certify developments without the requirement for further approvals under NSW legislation. The private certifier is then in charge of making sure the developer follows the instructions. The Canterbury-Bankstown Council “visited the home in Belfield” following concerns from locals, according to a statement sent to A Current Affair.