An opulent mansion in Sydney‘s eastern suburbs has become the subject of a bitter legal battle over some missing trees.

Known as Villa Biscaya, the pink Spanish-style home in Rose Bay has been featured on Married At First Sight, The Bachelor and The Voice.

The house was previously owned by David Waterhouse, the options trader and estranged member of the Waterhouse bookmaker dynasty.

Mr Waterhouse sold the property in 2023 for $26million to the Aston Martin-driving investment banker Michael Rothner, known for rubbing shoulders with the likes of Cate Blanchett and Tyra Banks.

But although Mr Rothner is living in the property, settlement is not yet concluded, and the two men have become embroiled in a legal stoush.

The proceedings launched by Mr Waterhouse last year accuse Mr Rothner’s ex-wife, Lisa, of cutting down trees on a neighbouring property – an allegation both Mr and Ms Rothner deny, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Mr Rothner is countersuing and seeking damages, accusing Mr Waterhouse of refusing to sign off on development applications which he claims have delayed renovations.

The next hearing is scheduled in the Supreme Court next week.

The pink Spanish-style home has been featured on Married At First Sight, The Bachelor and The Voice

David Waterhouse is the estranged brother of bookmaker Rob, uncle to fellow bookie Tom and his fashion writer sister Kate, and brother-in-law to horse training great Gai Waterhouse

Mr Rothner (pictured) is a principal at commercial real estate finance firm AsheMorgan

The fracas with Mr Rothner is not the first time Mr Waterhouse has been involved in a property war.

In 2019, he got in a nasty feud with his neighbours at a $3.5million apartment at Darling Point, alleging that Fay Cohen’s ‘yapping’ cavoodle, Fifi, was defecating on the harbour-front lawn and disrupting access to the pool.

Mrs Cohen applied for an apprehended violence order (AVO) against Mr Waterhouse, alleging he had verbally abused and threatened her near their shared pool.

The AVO was dismissed by a magistrate in September 2019.

Mr Waterhouse is the estranged brother of bookmaker Rob, who is married to horse-racing trainer Gai Waterhouse, and uncle to their children Tom – who continued the in the family’s sports betting trade – and fashion writer Kate.

Mr Rothner is a principal at commercial real estate finance firm AsheMorgan.

Villa Biscaya is almost 100 years old, and was designed by renowned architect Alan Edgecliff Stafford in 1929.

It features four bedrooms, harbour views, a swimming pool and a 1000-bottle wine cellar.