33 Marlborough St, Sandy Bay - Illegal Bulldozing + Land Fill

In late 2006 Mehrab-Khani purchased number 33 Marlborough St. Sandy Bay. This vacant block was and is subject to a Condition recorded on the Title that there be no vegetation or ground disturbance outside a building envelope.

Some other blocks in the subdivision have like conditions. The attached proof of evidence and photo's from Lucy Handsjuk of the Hobart City Council show what has been done with a bulldozer and land fill dumping. The time given by the Planning Tribunal for remedial action expired in January.

Art Of Negotiation

Developers have an edge against us plebs - psychologically and financially.

Here is an experiment conducted by the Uni of Arizona as related by Dr. Robert Cialdini in his book The Science Of Influence:

Researchers went out and told people passing by that they were from the local juvenile detention centre and that they were looking for people that would chaperon a group of juvenile delinquents on a day trip to the zoo. Most people declined, only 17% said YES.

Another group of people passing by were told that they were from a juvenile detention centre, and that they were introducing a "Big Brother" or "Big Sister" program and that this would entail 3 hours a week of their time for 2 years!! Most people blinked and said..."2 years! I don't know where I will be in 2 years!"

The researchers then said..."If you can't do that, would you be willing willing to chaperon a group of juvenile delinquents to a day trip to the zoo! On that basis, now 50% said YES.

Three times the response rate by first putting a larger offer first then retreating to the offer you first had in mind!

This is done routinely by developers and planners for good reason. Psychologically it feels that they are giving in, giving up something. In the spirit of negotiation you need to give something up too. Remember in negotiation, always make a bigger request. When you hear NO, it is a power moment, a window of opportunity to withdraw and come right back away with a more moderate offer.

In a tribunal (or negotiation) here is the crucial thing: if you come back in a week's time, it is perceived to be another offer. If you come back straight away, it is perceived you are giving up something, and by the Law Of Reciprocity, the other side then feel the need to give something up too.

Read Dr. Robert Cialdini's brilliant book for more info.

Police Charge Khani with Deception To Gain Financial Advantage

Living in 2 different places with 2 different names...

176 Brisbane St - Damage, Mess, Abuse and Spitting.

Tony Jacobs lives at 176 Brisbane Street, next to Soheil Mehrab-Khani. Here in his own words are the problems he has had to endure:

Photo 1 - Mr. Khani's driveway was not wide enough for his purpose so he cut off part of my front fence with a chain saw and erected this pillar to support his metal gates.

Photo 2 - He constructed this cement base wholly inside my property to support the pillar and gates. I later found a workman putting render on it. He said Mr. Khani had told him I had given express permission for him to work on it.

Photo 3 - General scene of the mess he left at the front of my property (one day he had a string at an angle across my property and was intending to construct a side fence with a funnel type entrance. A threat of Police deterred him.)

Photo 4 - General view from the front showing the mess he left in my property.

Photo 5 - Using my new fence as boxing he built his property up to 25cm above natural ground level at the street.

Photo's 6, 7, 8 - Scenes near my back door where the bottom of his fence was 90cm above natural ground level. Blue metal and general rubbish flowed in. No attempt was made to clean up. He was pressing my wife for permission to cut down the old plum tree shown. If that had gone I expect the fence would now be a distance into my land.

Photo's 9 & 10 - My property extends about halfway across his rear. Views of some of that devastation. Whilst the fence was down Mr. Khani took the opportunity to cut down bushes and shrubs well inside our property. On one occasion he dumped old fence timber on top of a flower bed of my wife's notwithstanding that empty spaces were available nearby.

A letter to Mr. Khani seeking remedial action was ignored so we engaged a builder to put in terracing. A Summons was issued against him for costs and damages.

One of the claims by his Solicitor was that Mr. Khani had found some Hobart fences in the wrong place. Apparently this meant he thought he could take what he liked. He had measured his boundary in my presence. He has undoubtedly encroached.

The Compulsory Conciliation Conference had only gone about 2 minutes when there was an extremely violent psychotic outburst by Mr. Khani. The Magistrate's hearing was interrupted by about 6 outburts by Khani. As the Magistrate was ruling in my favour he stormed out of Court directing a loud tirade at me. I got the money.

Mr. Khani has since tried to sell the property but the Agents declined to continue to act because the pillar is in my property.

Photo's 11 to 14 -  I've since had a tirade of abuse from him, attacks on me when in motor vehicles and a lot of spitting from the footpath and over the fence. These have been interspersed with damage to the side fence by kicks and bare hands. These photo's show that damage near the street.

Photo 15 - This shows a hole 70cm by 17cm smashed with his bare hands in March 2010. It is near my back door. For about the next 4 weeks his right arm was in plaster.

Tom here:
This from Newcastle Uni about Australian culture: "It is illegal to spit in public places and it is an offensive act." http://www.newcastle.edu.au/students/international/about-us/australian-culture.html

Concrete Pouring Is On Again

Visualise Concrete Pumping just arrived and is pumping concrete.

Monday morning, the concrete is pouring, but on Friday morning no-one at Council could say whether set up or levels were correct

Let's hope it's all correct.
I have just emailed Ross at the Council to clarify.


Update--Just heard from Council--"The supervising building surveyor based on evidence from the land surveyor has advised Council the levels are compliant."
 

Concrete Pouring Halted

On Thur 22 April a massive concrete pouring truck from David Gee Concrete arrive on site at Bathurst St. The driver got out and I watched as Mehrab-Khani became abusive towards the driver. I could clearly hear him say F...You! The driver hopped back in the truck and drove away. My friend Tony phoned up David Gee who was happy to get the call and tell his side of the story relating to Mehrab-Khani's legendary people skills.

To me this is extremely serendipitous. About a year ago a surveyor came on site and surveyed the masonry wall that had just been built. It turns out the wall was too big and close to a metre had to be cut off with a brick cutter and the incorrect part of the wall was pushed over to the ground.

Anyway, over the next few weeks the wall was rebuilt. Fast forward to Friday 23 April 2010: after enquiring from Council on Friday, a day after an attempted pouring on Thursday, I have been told that Council is awaiting "confirmation from his contracted surveyor that the set out is in compliance with the relevant approvals"....and that the levels are correct.

Considering how badly out the small masonry wall was, and that I have only ever seen Mehrab-Khani with a spray can and a tape measure, I have grave concerns about the set out of the development. Hopefully I am proved wrong on this, but it would be nice if he didn't pour concrete until the Council receives confirmation of compliance.

Worker Looking For Payment

I was outside today, when a man asked me if I knew where Mehrab-Khani lived. He was chasing some money owed to him for work done at Bathurst St. I sent him to 178 Brisbane St and told him to contact me if he didn't get paid. I offered to put his story up on the internet.

I spoke with the worker later and it seems he was only paid a portion of the money owing to him -- Mehrab-Khani held back over $200, on a take it or leave it deal. I have the man's name and contact details if he wants to go further with this and publicise the story.

I suspect Mehrab-Khani  wouldn't be too thrilled if people didn't pay for staying at his hotel, The Harrington.


The word may be getting out slowly...one of my neighbours is a plumber. Mehrab-Khani asked him to do the plumbing on the Bathhurst St property. I was told just today he refused the job.

I would appreciate any information from anyone that has done work for Mehrab-Khani but has not been paid. Please contact me!

Glenorchy 2006

The first public record I can find is in 2006 with Glenorchy Council vs Mehrab-Khani. He lost this case too. I mean, the man clearly does not like Building Permits, even back then.

But my favourite Tribunal Order to Mehrab-Khani (besides having to pay costs) is point 4 where he has to "reinstall the original 'Snows Dry Cleaners' sign on the buildings Main Road facade and box around it."

The mind boggles...whatever did he do to Snows Dry Cleaners sign?
Damn, don't you hate these Building Permits?

Fruit + Vegies

Restraint Order Against Mehrab-Khani

On the second week of February 2010 while I was interstate, Mehrab-Khani's wife knocked on our door and got into an altercation with my wife. About 30 minutes later  Mehrab Khani in the presence of another male, knocked on our door and decide to carry this dispute on.

Mehrab-Khani became so loud and abusive towards my wife that our neighbour Andrew Fitzgerald opened the door to see what was going on, then seeing the 2 men standing over my wife, came to her assistance.

I returned from my trip a day later and went to Mehrab-Khani's hotel, The Harrington, where I told them to never harrass my wife again. An altercation followed, police were called.  The police recommended I seek a restraint order which I did.

The following week Magistrate Hill granted myself and my wife a 1 year Restraint Order so that Mehrab-Khani would not be allowed to approach us or damage our property.

Council Summons - Bathurst Street

There are 3 summons by Hobart City Council against Mehrab Khani that I am aware of at the moment:

I will be concerning myself with the Bathurst Street summons, the Bay St and Brisbane St issues will be the subject of further posts. Incidentally, there was a hearing at the Magistrates Court in Feb for all 3 summons.

His solicitor Mr Gunston told the court that Mehrab-Khani wouldn't be there and that he didn't have a medical certificate. The case was put foward to a future date (stay tuned). I walked down to Hobart City Council and Lo and Behold, there was the aforementioned Mehrab-Khani, conducting business at the Council. When I asked why he wasn't in court, he pushed a bandaged thumb within inches of my face.

One of the issues regarding the Bathurst St. Summons is that he is supposed to remove 2 large shipping containers from the property. They contain his furniture.

I took a photo as he had a container loaded on a truck on April 1st.
Was he moving the containers away? No, he decided to move both containers against my fence-line. As if this wasn't enough, he has started throwing rubbish, a broken TV aerial and a ladder up onto the containers too!

Then he movde a mountain of dirt close to my fence-line.

Notice the mountain of dirt is close to the fence, directly next to our weeping birch tree.
Council Planning specifically asked that the area near the birch tree be clear up to 1 metre off the fence.

Tradesmen Beware

My neighbour Andrew Fitzgerald and myself spoke to his tiler who was not paid for work done. Now Mehrab-Khani's name is in the Tasmanian Collection Service Trade Gazette (Thanks Tony!) for owing money to tradesmen/businesses who have done work for him.

If you are a small business/sole contractor, be careful of doing any work for Mehrab-Khani, you may not get paid!

By the way, people seem to have trouble finding Mehrab-Khani because he is listed under several addresses. For the record, he lives at 178 Brisbane Street, Hobart.