A leopard tree outside a Brisbane couple’s dream home has become a seven‑year, six‑figure nightmare they say is literally pulling their house apart – and they’re now taking the fight to the District Court.
Sam and Sab bought their home in Brisbane’s east in 2015, when the street tree was already established.
Within a year, they say cracks began splintering through walls and ceilings and roots were found in their stormwater line.
Since then, they claim the damage has accelerated.
“The house is riddled with cracks … and the cracks have actually worsened in the time we’ve waited for the council to remove the tree,” Sam told A Current Affair.
MORE NEWS
Outdated rules on dogs in cafes are hurting struggling small businesses
Gardener’s ‘smelly’ hack ends neighbour leaf wars
‘Smashed’: Thieves now eye one home feature
A leopard tree outside Sam and Sab’s dream home in Brisbane’s east looks beautiful but it’s been a seven-year costly nightmare. (A Current Affair)
They point to what lies beneath as the root cause: an extensive underground network they say has tracked from the footpath to the house slab, destabilising the structure.
The couple say the front door has tilted, forcing constant adjustments to the lock mechanism.
“That door has moved significantly over the years and we’ve had to keep readjusting it – it’s a significant security concern for us,” Sab said.
Inside, they say the staircase is shifting.
“With all the movement, the stairs have essentially pulled away – twisting towards the tree,” Sab said.
“We had a builder and an engineer come out; they said we need to prop the stairs and, until then, only one person should be on them at a time.”
The leopard tree is not native to Australia, is known for its large aggressive root system, and BCC no longer permits new plantings in residential areas. Yet existing leopard trees continue to cause the same problems for homeowners across Brisbane. (A Current Affair)
The tree’s exact age is unknown, but the couple say it pre‑dates the 20‑year‑old home.
They allege Brisbane City Council has previously advised the leopard tree is “not yet mature”, and claim they later discovered former owners had a removal request denied.
“We had an engineer’s report – and a second engineer’s report – clearly pointing to the tree as the cause of the damage,” Sab said.
“We feel like we just keep hitting a brick wall with council. We keep providing evidence after evidence – reports and third opinions.”
As ratepayers, Sam says they expected a practical solution.
“The tree is causing damage. Remove it.”
The tree’s extensive root system has caused major damage to the home and property. (A Current Affair)
The couple say they’ve spent about $150,000 in legal fees alone fighting council decisions, while their current repair bill is in the hundreds of thousands.
Their local councillor, Cr Lucy Collier, has thrown her support behind the pair.
“They have done absolutely everything right. They have gone and gotten the evidence and council, for inexplicable reasons, are shutting them down,” she told A Current Affair.
“Council have removed trees for far less, so this doesn’t make much sense to me. At the end of the day, it’s also costing ratepayers tens of thousands of dollars.”
The couple’s home is literally falling apart. (A Current Affair)
The couple’s Change.org petition – which has surpassed 1600 signatures – argues the leopard tree is not native, has an aggressive root system, and that Brisbane City Council no longer permits new plantings in residential areas.
“Yet existing leopard trees continue to cause the same problems for homeowners across Brisbane, and in our experience council is doing nothing about it,” the petition states.
“No Brisbane resident should have to fight this hard to protect their home.”
With negotiations stalled, the couple have escalated the matter to the District Court, seeking permission to remove the tree and recover costs.
English (US) · 