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She left a bad review - then 26 dirty mattresses appeared on their driveway. Now the Aussie family could lose their home Family gets legal reprieve but fight to save home still an uphill battle READ MORE: What happened to family after bad review for a trash company By PAUL SHAPIRO, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 06:41 GMT, 27 October 2025 | Updated: 06:41 GMT, 27 October 2025 A Melbourne couple who had 26 filthy mattresses dumped on their driveway after posting a bad review have revealed the heartbreaking toll the saga has taken on their children, as they notch a small but significant win. Laura and Jarrod Maultby never imagined their dispute with trash collection company Junk would turn into a years-long legal war costing more than $200,000 and leaving them fearing they could be forced to sell their home. The working parents from Langwarrin, in Melbourne's southeast, say it all began when they asked Junk to dispose of a small pile of disintegrated wood and were hit with a $514 bill in June. The couple claim they hadn't expected the service to be so expensive and didn't pay, but Junk argued the price had been clearly outlined. Buried in the company's terms and conditions was one line that would later come back to haunt them: if a bill went unpaid, Junk could return 'an equivalent amount of waste' to the customer's property. Not long after, the Maultbys say 26 old, dirty mattresses were dumped outside their home. This prompted Ms Maultby to leave negative reviews about her experience with the company. Junk dumped 26 mattresses at the Maultbys Langwarrin property in a dispute over a $500 bill Laura Maultby told the Daily Mail she and her husband will vow to keep fighting for their children What started as a $514 dispute exploded into multiple lawsuits filed by Junk in two different states, actions claiming the family had 'disparaged' the business and caused it to lose revenue. The company launched multiple legal actions against the Maultbys across two states, filing separate proceedings in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), the Queensland District Court, and the Supreme Court of Victoria. The company claimed its weekly revenue dropped by more than $25,000 after the Maultbys' reviews were posted across TikTok, Google, and review sites. 'Look, it's harrowing, it's been a nightmare, it's been the worst 12 months of our lives to be honest,' Ms Maultby said. According to court documents obtained by Daily Mail Australia, Junk accused the family of posting six separate 'false' reviews in June last year, including comments that the business 'rips and scams its customers' and 'charges more than its quotes.' The company also rejected claims its owner, Richard Furnari, made 'many calls in quick succession' to the couple in a 'harassing manner.' After months of stress and mounting legal bills, the Maultbys finally received a reprieve this week when the Queensland District Court dismissed one of the cases against them, while the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal also refused to hear duplicate actions. The original pile of trash the Maultbys hired Junk to remove The Maultby family have endured a nightmare 'We've had a lot of support from our community and now two courts have told them Junk there is a more appropriate forum,' Ms Maultby told Daily Mail Australia. 'It's great that VCAT are pushing back against duplicated legal actions and they won't allow Junk to pursue us in multiple courts. 'We thank both the District Court of Queensland and VCAT for recognising the importance of keeping this matter confined to one court.' While the couple say they're relieved, the fight isn't over as a Supreme Court case remains active. The ordeal has taken a brutal toll on their family. 'This process has taken a huge toll on our young family, both emotionally and financially, but we're incredibly grateful for the support we've received from our friends, our amazing lawyers and our community over the past 15 years,' Ms Maultby said. 'And of course, we're thankful to our family, our future is unclear unfortunately and we're just focusing on keeping positive for our girls who have been badly affected, but I do have faith in the court systems and good people.' The family launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with the mounting legal costs, raising just over $20,000 of their $100,000 goal. 'We questioned an invoice, spoke out online and now to save us from losing our house we've had to do a GoFundMe campaign unfortunately. 'We hadn't refused to pay the invoice, we just queried it and wanted to come to a resolution with the business due to confusing quotations,' she said. The mattresses viewed from inside the home 'We shared our story on social media, asking for help and advice. Our story went viral, and several news outlets covered what had happened. 'Since then, we've received numerous different legal threats from numerous persons and companies associated with the business.' 'We are now facing the heartbreaking prospect of selling our already mortgaged home simply to defend ourselves and repay the family members who have sacrificed so much to support us,' she added. 'This isn't just about us, it's about anyone who has ever tried to speak up before.' TikTokMelbourneGoogle Share or comment on this article: She left a bad review - then 26 dirty mattresses appeared on their driveway. Now the Aussie family could lose their home Add comment
