In early 4, David and Melanie Moor hired a moving crew to dismantle their four-bedroom house and crane-lift it to an adjacent plot in Camperdown, Victoria. This relocation concluded a two-year legal dispute between them and their neighbor.
The dispute began after the local council informed the Moors that their entire home was situated on plot one, owned by someone else. "Initially, we thought it was a mistake, as the local council had approved the blueprints and granted a building permit," Mrs. Moor recounted.
The error originated from incorrectly marked boundary pegs. During the foundation work, local inspectors checked three times but failed to detect the structure outside the approved boundary. The Moor family believes the real estate agent showed them the wrong plot, but the agency denied it.
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The Moor couple built their house on plot one, while their purchased land was plot two. Photo: ABC News
The Moor family had purchased plot two, spanning over 2 hectares, for 300,000 AUD (195,000 USD) in 2021. In 4/2024, they spent 500,000 AUD to lay the foundation, construct a prefabricated house, and install utilities.
The Moor couple offered a land swap, but the owner of plot one refused. In 8/2025, the neighbor demanded the family dismantle the structure and clear the site. After multiple negotiations, both parties agreed that the Moor family must clear the plot by 2/5.
Despite warnings that the prefabricated house structure could be damaged during relocation, the Moors hired a moving company. Utilities were disconnected, and the septic system was excavated. A crane lifted the house from its foundation, placing it on a flatbed truck for a 100-meter transfer to plot two. The structure is currently resting temporarily on empty drums, awaiting new foundation construction. "We haven't dared to inspect the extent of the damage because the house is not yet stable enough on the drums," Mrs. Moor stated.
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The day the house was moved to a plot 100 meters away. Photo: ABC News
The Moor family also had to remove 160 concrete foundation piles and trees to restore the site to its original condition for the neighbor. The relocation process cost approximately 100,000 AUD (72,000 USD). This amount does not include repairs for structural damage from shaking, replastering walls, or landscaping.
David Moor stated that the family purchased a camper van to live in with their daughter for about one year while awaiting the home's completion. "When making major building decisions, everyone should thoroughly check the boundaries themselves instead of relying entirely on service providers," he advised.
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The Moor couple, who are retired, decided to move to the countryside in Camperdown, Victoria. Photo: ABC News
In Vietnam, similar incidents of building on the wrong land have occurred multiple times. In 3, a woman in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, received a ruling to demolish her four-story house after building on a neighbor's land, despite having previously asked the developer to mark the boundaries. Late 2025, a household in Thuy Nguyen City (Hai Phong) also spent hundreds of millions of dong to hire a "magician" (specialized house mover) to relocate a two-story house to return the site to the landowner.
Bao Nhien (According to ABC News)
