Clive cops big bill for mansion sale
BESIEGED businessman Clive Palmer has been ordered to pay more than $25,000 after breaching an agreement when offloading his Sovereign Islands mansion to his son.
Non-profit, residentrun companies, The Sovereign Island Gateway Company and The Sovereign Island (Precinct No. 5) Company, last year lodged an application in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) to recoup $25,000 from the mining magnate.
The sum is the penalty required by the companies for breaching a clause in an agreement relating to the transfer of property on the island.
The Sovereign Island Gateway Company alleged Mr Palmer did not provide a deed of transfer when ownership of a $1.3 million property in King Charles Drive passed from him to his son, Michael, in April 2013.
On Friday, QCAT in Southport issued a default decision and ordered Mr Palmer to pay the $25,000 debt, and $326.80 in interest, to the companies.
He had failed to respond to the application to recoup the debt, court papers show.
QCAT documents said Mr Palmer’s whereabouts were “entirely unknown due to current court cases” and special leave was granted to allow documents for the proceedings to be served by post.
Sovereign Island Gateway Company secretary and director Roslyn McKiernan said Mr Palmer now had 30 days to pay the debt before the matter was referred to a higher court.
“It’s been a long time coming,” she said.
“If he doesn’t pay this then I’ll go to an enforcement hearing and if he ignores me an officer will have to go and get him and bring him to court and if he refuses to do that, I’ll have to go through with seizure and sale of property.”
Documents obtained by the Bulletin also show there is a dispute involving Mr Palmer over $8000 in unpaid levies allegedly owed to the companies for gardening and aroundthe-clock security of the glitzy gated community.
The levies relate to the properties that have been transferred into Michael Palmer’s name without a new deed of agreement being signed, the companies claim.
Between August 2016 and November 2017, there were $6103 in unpaid levies owed, according to the Sovereign Islands Gateway Company.
More than $2000 was in arrears before the most recent statement was issued by the company, they claim.
“He’s (Clive Palmer) still liable, on top of the debt for breaching the clause, to pay for the outstandings (in levies),” Ms McKiernan said.
“We do have services to provide. It’s an equity issue. We are required to show that everyone should participate in the payment of levies to enjoy security, gardens and parks.”
Sovereign Islands leases parks from the Gold Coast City Council and covers its own maintenance through the nonprofit company.
Each resident is required to pay $2640 each year for gardening and park maintenance.
Four are in the name of his wife, Anna Alezandrova Palmer; three are listed in his son Michael’s name and one in his daughter’s name, Emily Susan Moraig Palmer.
When contacted by the Bulletin, Clive Palmer declined to comment.