Bankstown viral video: Inside wild mud-slinging neighbourhood feud

An extraordinary mud-throwing stoush in which an elderly woman angrily hurled clumps of dirt at tradies next door is just the latest clash in a long-running neighborhood conflict.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal that the two feuding households in South West Sydney’s Bankstown have been embroiled in a civil court battle over construction work for nearly a year – with police having been called earlier over the feud.

A video on TikTok – which went viral earlier this week – showed an elderly woman and a man, believed to be her brother, storming out of their home after their power line was cut by tradesmen working next door.

The woman quickly starts throwing clumps of mud onto her neighbor’s new driveway, while her sibling angrily yells at the workers that their power has been cut off.

The angry neighbor started throwing big clumps of mud on her neighbor’s new driveway after his construction workers cut off the electricity

Since moving into their new home in April last year, the young family said they had constant conflicts with their neighbours.

The homeowner, who wished to remain anonymous, told Daily Mail Australia that her elderly neighbors had woken her children by banging on the fence, imitated her toddler when he cried and complained to the council if their bins were left out for a day too long.

She said the latest drama unfolded when they built a new wheelchair accessible ramp for her brother.

After 12 months of red tape from the municipality, the cement was finally laid on Monday and an electricity pole, which connects neighboring properties, was temporarily disabled.

Tape surrounds the newly cemented driveway in Bankstown, which was at the center of a viral feud earlier this week

The young family said their neighbors had been warned about the planned outage. Pictured: A man outside the new owners’ home on Tuesday

She said the couple next door had been warned in advance about the disconnection.

“We didn’t cut her power, we gave her notice and (electricity supplier) Ausgrid also gave her notice in writing,” she said.

“Ausgrid, the municipality and neighbors have been notified of all work and we have signed all approvals. We had to cut her power and reconnect in five minutes.”

But Daily Mail Australia has been told Ausgrid had not approved the works – meaning they would not have received an official warning before their power was cut.

An Ausgrid spokeswoman said they were aware of the incident that resulted in the power being lost.

“Power has now been restored to the property and we are investigating the cause of the disconnection,” she said.

Despite the conflicting claims, the young neighbor said she was “upset” when she saw the video posted online after the family gave strict instructions to traffickers not to film or distribute the footage.

It was “really not nice” to see elderly citizens taunted on social media and that she wouldn’t be happy if that happened to her grandparents.

The young family living in the residence says the works have been approved by the municipality

Property documents show that the young family took ownership of the land in August 2020, with plans to demolish the pre-existing residence and build a new home.

Months later, they sued their neighbor for damages and a court order to allow them access to their property to perform works.

Their claim was rejected by the Downing Center local court in Sydney on October 28 and the young family was ordered to pay the legal costs of the defendant, their elderly male neighbour.

Daily Mail Australia made several unsuccessful attempts to contact the elderly residents. On a call to the home on Wednesday, a woman hung up after claiming the wrong number had been dialed.

The previous ramp had a curb where it opened onto the road making it difficult for a wheelchair to roll over smoothly to access the house

Meanwhile, the spat has divided the internet – some say the elderly neighbors had every right to be angry, while others felt the elderly woman overreacted.

“They cut the electricity without warning and the lady was cooking. That’s why she got angry,” one person wrote.

Another added, “Well, if you cut their power without notice, I understand why she’s upset.”

“Okay, they accidentally cut her power, will probably be fixed. She doesn’t like the fence. It’s not the builder’s fault,’ someone else suggested.

However, the division has also spread to the community, with neighbors saying they were “devastated” for the elderly woman after witnessing the viral clip on Tuesday morning.

“She’s just the most beautiful lady,” said one woman who asked to remain anonymous.

“It’s just so sad. It’s devastating.’

Neighbor Mel added: ‘How would you feel if your mom was on social media?

How would you feel if your power went out? It is pathetic.

‘I feel sorry for her.’