The Sell: Mediators called in fight for Bob Hawke’s estate
The battle over former prime minister Bob Hawke’s estate could be over today with private mediators called in to advise on youngest daughter Rosslyn Dillon’s claim, real estate expert Jonathan Chancellor reveals.
NSW
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There has been private mediation undertaken in the claim by Rosslyn Dillon, the youngest daughter of former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke, in the dispute over her father’s will.
NSW Supreme Court’s Justice Philip Hallen will be advised on any family settlement today.
Dillon has sought $4.2 million, substantially more than the $750,000 she was given.
Dillon, who lives on disability welfare, contested that she should receive more from Hawke’s estate, mostly inherited by his wife, Blanche d’Alpuget, because she cannot afford certain costs including dental implants.
Dillon also sought $2.5 million to buy a house in Sydney’s east and a burial plot at Eastern Suburbs Cemetery.
None of Dillon’s siblings have filed claims against the will that gives Hawke’s eldest daughter Sue and son Stephen $750,000 each, along with d’Alpuget’s son, Louis Pratt.
Estate law often favours the children who are “down and out”.
Dillon has just $14,000 in superannuation from working at the Ansett VIP Canberra airport lounge in the 1980s.
Dillon engaged lawyers following her father’s death last May.
Her claim came after an erroneous report by Nine Entertainment that Hawke had sold his Northbridge home for $15 million. The settlement last December showed it as $9.2 million.
Ms d’Alpuget bought for $3.6 million in One30 Hyde Park having undertaken a house contents auction last August which secured $750,000 in sales, inclusive of Shapiro Auctioneers buyers’ commission.
LONG WAIT FOR A TENANT
Jordan Stenmark, half of the international model duo the Stenmark twins, has been struggling to find tenants for his Bondi rental bolthole.
Jordan paid $1.13 million for the two-bedroom apartment — nearer Bondi Junction than the banned sand — three years ago.
The split-level unit, with a study and north-facing balcony, was initially listed seeking a $1090-a-week tenant in February. Now he will take $850.
Set on the top level in the 2005-built Oasis block, it had been an $800-a-week rental before Stenmark bought it in 2017.
The Stenmarks, Zac and Jordan, who were at New York Fashion Week in February, only came home to Sydney in late March, to go into isolation at Palm Beach, in a family-owned rustic 1915 timber cottage.
“Somewhere special,” they told their social media followers.
It was 2011 with the chiselled twins working in a cafe when a friend suggested they would make more money modelling.
Rarely spending time apart from each other, the duo spent most of their time growing up in Mosman and weekending at Palm Beach.
Meanwhile, keeping and finding tenants has become a big issue for Sydney landlords amid huge job losses for many occupants.
Last week federal Housing Minister Michael Sukkar clarified what the six-month rental moratorium on evictions means.
“There is a moratorium on evictions, but there’s not a moratorium on the requirement to pay rents,” he said.
“As the PM has said, we need landlords and tenants to come together and there must be an element of sharing the pain.”
PUP’S FORMER LOVE SHACK FOR RENT
The recently sold Bondi Beach investment apartment of former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke has been listed for rent by its mystery buyer.
It comes with $4000-a-week hopes through Sotheby’s leasing agent Morag Christie.
The rental would reflect a 2.9 per cent yield as Clarke sold the Cadigal apartment through Sotheby’s agent Barry Goldman for around $7.25 million.
Initially seeking $8 million for the Campbell Pde property, Clarke bought the 200sq m, three-bedroom apartment for $6 million in 2009 from his accountant mate Anthony Bell.
Bell had paid $3.2 million in 2005 on the building’s completion.
After briefly living there with then-fiancee Lara Bingle, Clarke’s apartment became an investment in 2011 when the asking rent was $2800.
Bondi Beach has 277 properties available for rent. Its typical two-bedroom units rent for $700 reflecting a 3.1 per cent yield.
Based on five years of sales, Bondi Beach has seen a bullish compound price growth of 7.9 per cent for units, according to realestate.com.au.
The big issue is, can landlords secure tenants before the seasonal winter doubling of the vacancy rate.