Couple down $260K, living out of boxes

Paradise Motor Homes fallout

A COUPLE who lost $260,000 in the $10m Paradise Motor Homes collapse had retired and sold their house to live in their new luxury home on wheels.

Now they’re house sitting to keep a roof over their heads and living out of boxes.

The couple, who are yet to tell friends and family what’s happened to them, paid the deposit on their dream motorhome, and sold their house in January after being promised it would be ready by May.

That deadline was then pushed out to October.

Administrators Barry Wright and Jason Tang, of Cor Cordis were appointed to Paradise Motor Homes (QLD), Paradise Motor Homes (NSW) and PMH Manufacturing on October 12.

Six months and $260,000 after they were promised their vehicle, the couple have been left virtually penniless, with little prospect of recouping their hard-earned cash.

“That’s our life savings, we don’t have anything else,” the tearful woman said.

“We’ve retired, I just stopped work, we don’t have a home now, we’re homeless.

“I’m just praying to God that He has another plan for us.”

The couple had planned to live in the motorhome, travelling to visit their grandchildren in North Queensland and visiting all the places they’d dreamt of during their long careers.

“We’ve been house sitting since August, and we found out about this at our first house-sit,” she said.

“We’re living out of boxes and a car. We went and saw (Paradise management) in August and spoke again in September, and there was no mention of any problems.

“I don’t know how they sleep. “I just want to know where the money’s gone.”

Among those owed money are dozens of retirees and couples owed six-figure sums, including one man owed $400,000.

The Australian Taxation Office claims it’s owed $2.4m across two of the companies, while suppliers are also out of pocket – including a Coolangatta business claiming it’s owed $530,000.

While 43 customers paid deposits to the Paradise Qld sales company, they have been told the cash held by Paradise Qld “did not reflect the deposits paid”.

Administrator Jason Tang said his preliminary investigations suggested “evidence of insolvent trading”.

That’s our life savings, we don’t have anything else