An Australian couple who won a $4.2million dream home and then complained it was a ‘nightmare’ because some luxury extras were removed have sparked backlash.
The Griffin family accused Adrian ‘Lambo Guy’ Portelli of taking back more than $100,000 worth of goods such furniture from the home before handing it over to them.
The property investor known for his flash lifestyle and luxury cars said he purchased the home in Gisborne, 54km north-west of Melbourne, in November after it passed at auction on reality TV series The Block.
Mr Portelli then put the home up as as the star prize through his lottery company LMCT+, which was won by the Griffins from Ballarat, Victoria.
But the family unearthed CCTV footage of Mr Portelli removing luxury items before handing over the keys – including a robo-mower, treadmill, wine, Smeg appliances and a BBQ smoker.
Lucky couple Kevin and Andrea Griffin who won a $4.2million home that featured in The Block claim their dream lottery win has become a nightmare after it was stripped of key items
The Griffin family have accused Adrian ‘Lambo Guy’ Portelli of taking back more than $100,000 worth of goods from the home before handing it over to them
Their claim has sparked backlash online with hundreds of people calling them ungrateful
Now the family have hit Mr Portelli with a bill for $102,000 for a long list of priced items, including candles and books, they claim are missing from the ‘fully-furnished’ home.’
The Griffins are also said to have a website ready to go live, entitled ‘Our LMCT nightmare’, if Mr Portelli doesn’t pay up.
They believed they were entitled to everything seen in the lottery’s promotional videos for the home.
But Mr Portelli said the luxury extras were just used for staging for the promotional videos and not part of the giveaway under the lottery’s terms and conditions.
To really drive his point home, Mr Portelli has announced all the items from the promotional video removed from the house would be part of a $1 giveaway.
‘We want it to go to someone that is going to be grateful and deserving,’ he said.
He claimed the entirety of the proceeds from the giveaway draw would go to supporting homelessness charities.
‘Because we’re discussing how many people out there will just be grateful to have a roof over their head, let alone a $4.3 million furnished home mortgage free,’ he said.
‘So what better way to get you guys involved. We are going to get rid of this, someone’s going to win it for $1 and all the proceeds are going to go towards changing people’s life who will be grateful just to have a better night.’
The entrepreneur was featured on the 2022 season of The Block where he ‘purchased’ the Gisborne home (pictured, Portelli with Scott Cam)
Thousands of people have commented on the story after it went viral – with the majority saying the couple were ungrateful and were the type who would ‘whinge if they won the lotto’.
‘Wow, the nerve! The stuff they’re mad about is replaceable and definitely not worth 100K,’ one said.
‘Even just having a house without any appliances is still a blessing from heaven. Let alone a $4million one,’ another commenter said.
‘Give it back then or just be happy for what you got,’ added a third.
‘This is a joke right? How ungrateful!’ a particularly frustrated commenter said.
‘So many are homeless, working full time jobs, living in their cars with their kids. Australia is going through a rental crisis and this man child is crying over some appliances?’ yet another added.
Many agreed with this point of view with one saying; ‘Yes , with so many without a place to call home I’d be grateful, count my blessings and move on.’
The interior of the luxury house which was featured on the Block
Property investor Adrian ‘Lambo Guy’ Portell was caught on camera removing items from the home before it was handed over to the family
Commenters were furious that the couple seemed ungrateful for the massive prize
Mr Portelli himself also accused the couple of being ungrateful and posted a clip to TikTok showing Ms Griffin spotting the wine fridge is missing and the couple finding faults in the home.
Mr Portelli says the couple spotted CCTV cameras left behind by Channel Nine’s production team and alleges they ‘hacked into them’.
This was how they found footage of him removing the missing items from around the home before they moved in, triggering the list of demands.
Mr Portelli has now hit back at the claims by posting out-takes from the handover video showing the family complaining as they were given the keys of the home.
The new clips sparked outrage, with some viewers savaging the family online for being ungrateful for quibbling over the missing items.
‘Unfortunately, it’s people like this that ruin it for everyone and it makes us not want to do things like this again,’ Portelli added.
The couple had been paying a $20 per month membership with Portelli’s business LMCT+ for over a year before they won the home through a giveaway.
LMCT+, which Portelli (pictured, centre) founded in 2018, is being investigated over allegations that it broke gambling laws
Portelli (pictured), who is also known as ‘Lambo Guy’ and lives a life of luxury, previously told Daily Mail Australia $500million was a ‘conservative estimate’ of his net worth
LMCT+, which Portelli founded in 2018, sells subscriptions that cost up to $100 a month.
Subscribers are entered into exclusive competitions, with prizes including homes, bikes, cars and boats, and they also get offers from motor vehicle businesses.
Portelli claimed he had been sent abusive and threatening messages labelling him and his team ‘thieves’ as a result of the vision being posted online.
‘Whatever I do with these items is up to me. Wherever I want to use them personally or I want to use them to stage future giveaway houses, who bloody cares,’ Portelli said.
It comes as Portelli’s business, LMCT+, is being investigated in two states over allegations that it broke gambling laws.
South Australia’s Consumer and Business Services and the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission have each received complaints about LMCT+ and are investigating.
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