Wads of mystery cash not enough for Bondi hoarders to keep their home

Wads of hundred-dollar notes waved around in court will not be enough to stop a Sydney council selling the infamous Bondi hoarder home from under its debt-stricken owners.

The family managed to stave off the forced auction of their home on Thursday night and less than 24 hours later Mary Bobolas and her adult daughters Elena and Liana arrived in court carrying several bags each, including one with “proof” they could pay their debt owed to Waverley Council.

Despite having just $5 in her bank account and no weekly income, Elena Bobolas produced about $170,000 in $100 notes as a “show of good will that funds were available”.

But instead of being able to pay the council upfront, Bobolas said the money, which she had received from friends who wished to remain anonymous, could only be paid off in instalments over the next five or six years.

The legal representative for the Waverley Council, Kendall Webber, argued the debts should be paid within 12 to 18 months.

“It’s a curious situation where they’ve come up with all the money and then say ‘you’ll have to wait five to six years’,” Mr Webber said.

He said the family was relying on resources and money from friends “that we know nothing about and their friends’ circumstances could change”.

Their rubbish-strewn home in Bondi was scheduled to go to auction on Thursday night by the NSW Sheriff’s Office but was called off at the eleventh hour after the family lodged a stay application in court. It was the third failed attempt to auction off the property.

The home, which has fallen into disrepair after years of rubbish piling up, has cost the Waverley Council hundreds of thousands of dollars in clean-up fees and unpaid rates. The Bobolas family currently owes the council about $177,000.

But the materialisation of cash in court was not enough to convince the magistrate that the family was able to pay its debts.

Magistrate Joanne Keogh said in her decision that the family had failed to demonstrate sufficient means to pay the money owed to the council.

“She has enough cash to satisfy the order but it’s not her money,” Magistrate Keogh said. Instead Ms Bobolas would be required to get permission from her friends to allow her to hand over the money.

Outside the courtroom, Mr Webber said the magistrate had made a discretionary judgment, but there was a chance the family could still lodge an appeal.

A Waverley Council spokesperson said the issue had been ongoing for more than 15 years.

“Unfortunately, during this time the rubbish build up at the property has continued, and court orders to clean up the property were consistently ignored or appealed,” she said.

“We understand this is a difficult time for the family and we hope they will accept the assistance of the professional support services that are available to them.”

There were eight interested parties who registered on the night to bid on the home, that has a price guide of more than $2 million – far from the $25,000 Steve and Mary Bobolas purchased it for in 1970.

But the purchase comes with a catch. There were strict conditions around the sale including the buyer being responsible for moving on the owner, Mary Bobolas, who lives there with her daughters Liana and Elena.