Articles by Vanda Carson

The controversial police speeding crackdown has led to hundreds of thousands more Queenslanders slapped with fines from mobile cameras than fixed.

The top barrister who is challenging Queensland's speed-camera law says the government may be forced to refund thousands of registered car owners.

In mandatory filings as part of his bankruptcy -- which became official last week -- Mr Damelian has declared he owes a total of $3 million to his creditors -- and can't even afford a car. The 62-year-old's bankruptcy comes a year after eight prominent Sydney caryards bearing his name were foreclosed on by the National Australia Bank. He was forced into bankruptcy after failing to repay a $1.9 million loan from his failed company, Damelian Automobile Limited. The receivers of his company took action against him in the Supreme Court earlier this year -- and Mr Damelian lost. The judge who heard the case found Mr Damelian lied in an attempt to avoid repaying the loan. Justice David Hammerschlag also found Mr Damelian "disingenuously" pretended to be naive about business and finance. Despite having just $73 in his bank account, Mr Damelian still has a roof over his head, according to the bankruptcy filings completed on November 2. He owns two neighbouring luxury townhouses worth $3.3 million in McMahons Point but is heavily in hock to the bank. He lives in one with his wife Jacqueline, who is less than half his age, and his mother lives in the townhouse next door. Mr Damelian stated in his filing to the Insolvency and Trustee Service Australia that he had a $6 million mortgage to NAB secured by the townhouses. He also has $2 million in superannuation. At his peak, Mr Damelian's empire turned over $200 million a year, with ultra rich clients including the late Kerry Packer and celebrities such as Lara Bingle. His dealerships sold Hondas and the luxury European brands Renault, Citroen, Fiat and Alfa and featured a gourmet restaurant and cafe. But his business turned sour in recent years and Damelian Automobile had $53 million in debts, mostly to the NAB, and only $14 million worth of assets when receivers were appointed in September last year. Four of the five former Damelian caryards have been sold by the receiver, Ferrier Hodgson.  

The former high flying luxury car dealer, who took the stand in the Supreme Court last week, was found to have lied in an attempt to avoid repaying a $1.9 million loan to his former company, which is in liquidation. Justice David Hammerschlag ruled Mr Damelian was lying when he gave evidence that he was unaware of the size of his director's loan and that he was not briefed about it by his finance staff. Justice Hammerschlag found that emails sent between Mr Damelian's wife Jacqueline and the company's finance executive Fadia Chidiac contradicted Mr Damelian's evidence. Mr Damelian also signed a document acknowledging the debt. “He was an entirely unsatisfactory witness who gave untruthful evidence,” Justice Hammerschlag ruled. He said Mr Damelian “disingenuously” pretended to be naive about business and finance. Mr Damelian's dealerships went bust a year ago. His bankers, National Australia Bank, are attempting to claw back the $53 million in debts the company had.  

The brothers who made their fortune on the string of McGrath car dealerships are fighting over how to split their empire. The tussle between Robert 63, and John, 57, has become so bitter that a judge described their relationship as "poisonous and suspicion-laden'' after he intervened. The McGrath brothers began working in their father Bert's business in the early 1980s when it was one of western Sydney's largest Holden dealerships. Bert McGrath spent 50 years building the business from when he qualified as a mechanic in the 1930s and leased a garage at Liverpool in 1938. At its peak it had 15 dealerships, including showrooms in Liverpool, Sutherland and Blacktown. A large slice was sold in 2006 when the sharemarket-listed Automotive Holdings Group paid $67 million in cash and shares. In November, 2010, Robert, who lives in a waterfront mansion in Hunters Hill with his wife Lucille, agreed to buy John's share of the property portfolio. The pair are splitting 20 commercial properties, including former car yards and service stations, worth up to $50 million. But the sale has been riddled with problems, exacerbated by mistrust and acrimony. Robert has conceded he acted unreasonably in not allowing John access to the books and records of the McGrath Group before Christmas. Meanwhile, John, who lives in Canberra where he runs several dealerships, has refused to agree to appoint a valuer to the group. Supreme Court Judge Michael Pembroke ruled on June 1 that John McGrath should allow an expert valuer to assess the value of the property portfolio and ruled that Robert should give John copies of the financial accounts of several companies. The properties are in Strathfield, Burwood, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Kirrawee and Moorebank. The sale comes when the car industry is in the doldrums, with the collapse of the Rick Damelian empire last year and the wafer-thin profit margins for many of those remaining.