A couple’s dream of a peaceful rural escape turned into a costly nightmare after they discovered their new home had been built on the wrong plot of land, leading to a potential $200,000 setback.
Dave and Melanie Moor, from western Victoria, had big plans when they purchased a five-acre block in Camperdown in 2021 for $300,000. Instead of building a new home, the couple decided to relocate a pre-existing house to the block, believing everything was in order.
They trusted the council, contractors, real estate agent, and conveyancers to ensure the project was completed smoothly. However, six months later, after the home was connected to essential services and council approval had been granted, the couple learned a shocking truth: their dream home was placed on the wrong lot.
It turns out the former landowner had divided the property into two separate lots. While the Moors had purchased Block 1, their home was mistakenly placed on Block 2, which had already been sold to another buyer.
“We didn’t think it was true because the council signed off on everything, so we thought it was a scam,” Mrs. Moor told A Current Affair. “It’s the pickle of all pickles.”
As if the mistake weren’t bad enough, the couple’s belongings, including precious possessions and family heirlooms, had been stored in a shipping container on the land. But because the house was on the wrong block, accessing the container would have been considered trespassing.
“This was going to be our forever home, and now it’s our never home,” said Mr. Moor, who, along with his wife, suffers from serious health conditions. Mrs. Moor battles a rare form of motor neurone disease, while her husband is living with stage four liver disease.
The couple, who had envisioned a quiet, peaceful life in their new home, were now facing an overwhelming financial burden. The only solution offered to them was to pay an additional $200,000 to have the house moved to the correct block—a cost the couple could not afford.
In a fortunate twist, after negotiations with the council and real estate agent, their neighbor stepped in to help. The neighbor agreed to exchange land titles, allowing the Moors to own the block their house was on. The couple paid a $50,000 fee to complete the title transfer.
While the Moors are still out of pocket more than they initially planned, this solution saved them a significant amount compared to the alternative $200,000 relocation cost. The couple’s ordeal continues to highlight the challenges homebuyers face when projects don’t go as planned, even with all the right approvals in place.