DRAMATIC scenes marred the sale of one of Australia’s most historic estates, with a decades-old family feud boiling over at auction.
An outpouring of anger and resentment followed the auction of 5 Morella Rd, Mosman, as the elderly sister of its deceased owner broke down at the falling of the hammer.
The crumbling waterfront mansion last owned by the estate of Anthony Parer, which lay empty for decades and became the target of squatters and vandals, sold for $6.6 million to a Chinese buyer on Thursday evening.
But while celebrations were in order for new owner Edward Wei, Mr Parer’s younger sister expressed her grief and shock as her family’s connection to the property was severed.
Marianna Parer, 83, flew in from Montreal to witness the auction, which took place after her brother’s estate passed to a woman the Parer family had refused to accept as one of their own.
It is understood that the late Mr Parer, who died aged 84 in May last year, did not leave a will, but that his former nurse and live-in carer Chew “Chewee” Ho Hong made a successful claim for letters of administration as his defacto, inheriting his entire estate.
Morella was designed by Burley Griffin protege Eric Nicholls and built in 1939 for Leo Parer, who founded and ran the Stanford X-Ray Company with his cousin Stan Parer.
In the mid-twentieth century, Leo Parer and his wife Helena hosted the cream of Sydney society at Morella, which featured in a six-page editorial in the April, 1943 edition of Australian Home Beautiful magazine.
But tragedy struck when Leo and Helena died in quick succession, leaving the property to Mr Parer, who was unable to keep up with the maintenance required as his own health declined.
A recluse who never married, Mr Parer suffered a stroke, followed by the early onset of dementia.
His carer Ms Ho Hong was understood to have been hired by the family several decades ago, and the pair lived together until Mr Parer’s death.
Mr Parer was said to be heartbroken by the property’s decline, and desperately wanted it to be saved.
“He felt saddened by the fact that vandals were entering the house and would attend the council meetings to request assistance in preserving the property,” a family member previously told news.com.au.
After the auction, Ms Parer expressed her anguish over the loss of the home she had grown up in.
“It’s a terrible story,” a shaking Ms Parer told news.com.au outside LJ Hooker’s Mosman auction rooms.
While Ms Ho Hong lived with Mr Parer until his death, family members have never accepted her relationship with her former employer.
Ms Parer, who has lived in Canada for decades, obtained legal advice over her brother’s estate, but was told she would not be successful in making a claim as she was independently wealthy.
She has struggled to accept the loss of Morella from her family.
“I just got out of hospital this morning because I had a very bad reaction to all this,” Ms Parer said.
“This is just the realisation that my whole life, my young life is gone.”
She recounted fond memories of growing up in the stately home, where she lived all through her schooling.
“We were all friends down the whole street, all the children ... We used to go to school together on the buses,” Ms Parer said.
Media speculation ahead of the auction put the potential selling price for Morella at $8 million, but agent Geoff Smith said that figure had never been on the cards. He said the vendor was “more than happy” with the result.
Four registered bidders vied for the property, which auctioneer David Scholes described as “an outstanding opportunity” with unspoilt Harbour views in one of the city’s mostly tightly held enclaves, while admitting that it “needs a lot of work”.
Several dozen people crowded into the auction rooms, and while the call for an opening bid of $7 million fell on deaf ears, things heated up once Mr Scholes dropped to a more realistic $6 million.
Buyer Edward Wei, a young man from China who was supported by family members, told news.com.au he was “very happy” with the purchase.
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