Premier urges fugitive developer to turn himself in

NSW Premier Chris Minns said creditors and enforcement agencies were keen to speak to the Toplace founder, who is believed to be overseas and wanted for alleged fraud offences.

"I would encourage him (Nassif) to make himself available to investigators in NSW so that we can find out exactly what he's done in this state and what his potential liabilities are," Mr Minns said on Wednesday.

He urged affected Toplace clients to contact the appointed administrator to register as unsecured creditors.

"We need to allow those administrators to undertake their work and determine what the full scale of the financing of the organisation is, as well as whatever potential damages there are on what we think are about 10 properties in NSW."

NSW Fair Trading this week said it was working with Strata Communities Australia and the Owners Corporation Network to help strata managers and owners in Toplace buildings.

The agency advised buyers with deposits on off-the-plan Toplace sales to contact their conveyancer or legal advisor for advice on their entitlements.

"The disciplinary action to cancel and disqualify Toplace's contractor licence remains in force," it said.

"Also building work rectification orders and other orders issued by NSW Fair Trading remain in force at this time."

NSW Police last month issed an arrest warrant for Nassif amid allegations a $150 million loan from Westpac was obtained using fraudulent pre-sale documents for an apartment complex in Castle Hill.

Nassif left the country on December 22, with police at the time seeking the public's help to determine his whereabouts after a two-year fraud investigation.

The 55-year-old is the father of Sydney lawyer Ashlyn Nassif, who has been accused of securing the $150m loan with a falsified property pre-sale contract in 2021.

Toplace was established in 1992 and describes itself as one of Australia's largest privately owned construction and property development companies.