A long-winded and, at one point, violent tenancy stoush between the Venezuelan embassy and its landlord has ended with the consulate being ordered to pay about $23,000 in overdue rent.
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An ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal decision, handed down this week, said Venezuela leased two O'Malley properties owned by Adrian Rosa and managed by his parents, Jose Rosa and Isilda Rosa.
One of the properties, which housed Venezuela's diplomatic staff, was leased by the republic for nearly two decades before its relationship with the landlord started to sour. The other property was Venezuela's former embassy.
The ACAT decision, which sets out the findings of Senior Member Heidi Robinson, said the embassy started to fall behind on its rent in early 2017.
Its "deteriorating" relationship with its landlord culminated in Venezuela's top cross country skier, César Augusto Baena Sierraalta - who was staying at the embassy - punching Jose Rosa in the face.
Beana was handed an 18-month good behaviour order for the attack in 2017, but did not have a conviction recorded.
He told police he believed his country had been disrespected and its sovereignty violated by the landlord's treatment of the Venezuelan embassy.
On March 28, 2017, Jose Rosa sent a notice to the embassy for it to vacate both its leased properties. The notice said the termination of the country's leases was "purely based on your attitude and it goes to provide that you should not be in your position even temporarily", the ACAT decision said.
Jose Rosa told the tribunal: "[They] didn't even have the courage to say in English, said in Spanish ... 'Son of a bitch, I'm going to smash your face'.
"That destroyed me completely."
Jose Rosa said the Venezuelan embassy did "not attempt to comply with the notice to vacate". On April 18, 2017 - a week before it was due to expire - he blocked the entrance to the Venezuelan embassy using heavy machinery, and turned off the water at the diplomatic residence.
The Australian Federal Police attended the property to switch the water back on that afternoon.
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The ACAT decision said the vacate date came and went, and some months later, on July 17, 2017, Mrs Rosa sent the embassy a letter demanding unpaid rent and other fees.
"The letter does not meet the formal requirements for a notice to remedy ... but the tenant was clearly put on notice as to the continuing dispute," the ACAT decision said.
"The applicant took no further formal action to effect eviction after sending this letter."
Jose Rosa blocked the diplomatic residence's door with a construction vehicle in early September 2017. The tenant finally vacated about September 23, 2017.
The ACAT decision said there was "no contest that the tenant owes rent, the only question is how much". Ms Robinson ordered that the Venezuelan embassy pay $22,500 in overdue rent, as well as a $538 application fee.
The overdue rent was reduced by $2000, which was awarded to the Venezuelan embassy "as compensation for the interference with ... quiet enjoyment of the property by way of the blockade and turning off the water".