A South Coogee mansion that has stood at the centre of a multimillion-dollar family legal dispute has been returned to the market by the family patriarch with price hopes up to $2 million higher than it sold for in June.
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The extraordinary battle over the grand four-bedroom residence goes back to early 2012 when Laura Angius was found dead in a pool of blood at the bottom of the home's central staircase after she apparently slipped and hit her head. The court cases that followed revealed a fractured family at odds over who would be the beneficiary of her multimillion-dollar estate.
At the time she died Laura had been estranged from her husband, John Angius, for about two years, and the family had split into two factions, with son Robert siding with his mother and daughter Jenny siding with her father.
Despite a 2007 will that made her two children beneficiaries, soon after Laura's death an exercise book was produced revealing her intentions to make Robert the main beneficiary once her divorce was finalised.
A protracted legal battle over the estate followed, culminating in a court ruling in late 2013 that the exercise book formed the basis of her intentions for her estate.
Despite Angius snr taking full possession of the property after his wife's death, court orders of early 2016 had the property transferred to the trustees of the estate of Laura Angius, and it was to be sold at auction as part of the will settlement.
However, early this year it became apparent Angius snr hoped to retain the family home, where he was then still living. He applied to the court to have the mansion opposite Blenheim Park sold to him by the trustees by private treaty at a price determined by the court.
That bid failed, however, and in June the residence was put up for auction.
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Among the registered bidders on the day were father and son.
According to a News Corp report at the time, Robert opened the auction with a $4.6 million bid that was met by strong offers from his father and another, independent buyer, pushing the price to sell under the hammer for $6 million to Angius snr. The result was $2 million above the reserve.
Angius snr reportedly shouted after the auction: "Someone understand me - my wife never wanted to sell this house. She never wanted to die here."
However, last week Biller Property's Sunny Sun said the owner was returning the three-level house with rooftop terrace to the market because he was a single man living on his own with no need for such a large house to himself.
The marketing campaign is asking for expressions of interest with a guide of $7.5 million to $8 million.
