Twist in Bondi balcony row as neighbour denies pouring hot tea onto Mayo Hardware tycoon James Mayo

A Bondi woman has denied pouring hot tea onto her hardware tycoon neighbour and his dog.  

Mayo Hardware director James Mayo, who owned Australia’s most expensive apartment, applied for an restraining order against his neighbours over claims a hot liquid was poured on him and his dog from a fifth-floor balcony.

Mayo, 54, sold his four-bedroom penthouse overlooking Sydney’s Bondi Beach in March for a record $20.5 million. 

He has now privately applied for a restraining order over claims he and the dog were burned by the liquid poured on them while they were on the street below.

But in a twist to the bitter feud, neighbour Kim Lipping shut down Mayo’s claims that he and the dog were burned by the liquid poured on them while they were on the street below.

The four-bedroom Bondi Beach penthouse went under the hammer for auction in March. Mr Mayo claims he and the dog were burned by the liquid poured on them as they were standing on the street

Mayo Hardware director James Mayo, who owned Australia’s most expensive apartment, applied for an restraining order against his neighbours. Pictured with his wife Tottie Goldsmith

When asked outside court if she had poured hot tea on the multimillionaire, Mrs Lipping simply responded: ‘no’.  

‘I really can’t comment, I’m sorry. It’s very stressful,’ she told The Daily Telegraph. 

Mr Mayo was set to apply for two apprehended domestic violence orders against Mrs Lipping and her husband Michael in court on Thursday, however the matter will instead be heard next month. 

Lawyers for the Lippings suggested the dispute could be handled through free mediation in a Community Justice Centre rather than in court.  

Magistrate Ross Hudson referred the matter to mediation. The trio will reappear in court on July 15. 

Mr and Mrs Lipping have a social circle including NRL identities and are well-known in Bondi for their charitable work. 

Mr Mayo is moving into a $36million mansion overlooking Sydney Harbour in the affluent suburb of Point Piper. 

A spokesman said the application was not a police matter. 

Mr Mayo is an accomplished yachtsman who won the Sydney to Hobart race as a teenage crew member.

He first put the four-bedroom penthouse under the hammer for $17 million on March 20.

The apartment was put on the market for $17 million and a couple paid more than $4 million over the asking price

The sale was four years after he bought the property in 2016 for $9.8 million

Panoramic views of the ocean and ritzy location of the penthouse drew in huge interest from vendors. 

A couple, who have not been named, won the heated bidding war and paid more than $4 million over the asking price. 

The open plan interior spans 304sqm and includes its own foyer at the entrance.

Though the panoramic views of the ocean and ritzy location of the penthouse drew in huge interest from vendors

Four en-suite bathrooms are attached to the bedrooms, granting residents excellent privacy.

The apartment has a dedicated media room and a spacious formal dining room, making it the perfect entertainer’s suite.

The oversized terrace is pitched by the real estate agency as the perfect alfresco setting with sprawling views of Bondi Beach in the backdrop.