Home Sweet Home North Lakes liquidated after ATO wind-up order
An embattled Brisbane furniture store has been forced into liquidation, the latest collapse in a chain that left customers out of pocket and authorities issuing a ‘do not deal’ warning.
One of the Queensland stores for an embattled furniture retail chain has been forced into liquidation, after customers were warned against dealing with the company and its director.
Home Sweet Home Sofa’s & Living (North Lakes) was ordered to go into liquidation in the Federal Court last Friday, after the Australian Taxation Office applied to wind it up in September.
Anthony Elkerton from DW Advisory, who is already handling the liquidations of two other Home Sweet Home stores, was appointed liquidator to the North Lakes entity.
Angry customers of Home Sweet Home stores across Queensland and NSW reported paying thousands of dollars for furniture and homewares they never received.
The North Lakes liquidation has followed the collapses of other related entities, more recently the court ordered liquidations of Home Sweet Home (Taree) last month and another store in Prospect, Sydney in October.
Mr Elkerton, the liquidator, said he had been unable to contact Home Sweet Home founder and director Daniele Maisano and each of the three stores had stopped trading some months before he was called in.
He didn’t yet have an initial estimate of the debts owed by the North Lakes centre, but he said the Taree and Prospect shops owed more than $100,000 to the ATO, as well as further debts to employees.
Former customers and staff are encouraged to contact him if they thought they were owed money, Mr Elkerton said.Narellan Distributors, which traded as Home Sweet Home Sofa’s & Living, went into liquidation in 2021.
A document from liquidator Shumit Banerjee of Westburn Advisory lodged with ASIC in July says Narellan Distributors still owed about $1m to creditors.
Mr Maisano is the sole director of multiple Home Sweet Home entities, tied to stores across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Canberra and NSW towns Taree, Dubbo and Forster.
He was also a director of entities attached to another collapsed furniture chain, Johnny’s Furniture, as well as another retailer, The Furniture Factory Outlet.
Home Sweet Home Group had been in talks with Johnny’s Furniture to create a possible joint venture, before it went into voluntary administration in 2021 and eventually entered liquidation.
A previous administrator’s report said eight Johnny’s Furniture stores were on properties owned by Home Sweet Home companies.
Home Sweet Home had five NSW stores and one shop in Melbourne listed on its website in May - after closing its Queensland stores earlier this year.
The Home Sweet Home website previously stated it was a “proud family owned and run business”.
It also said founder and director Mr Maisano had “over 30 years of experience in the furniture industry”.
NSW Fair Trading issued a ‘do not deal’ warning against Home Sweet Home’s online store, its NSW stores and Mr Maisano in April.
The agency received more than 100 complaints about the company not supplying or only providing some of the goods customers had paid for.
Melly Jan told news.com.au earlier this year she took matters into her own hands and took $2000 worth of goods instore, after she was left waiting for $8000 in furniture she had ordered online.
Another customer said he never received a couch and dining table he purchased from the Helensvale store for $3140.
News Corp has contacted Mr Maisano for comment.
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Originally published as Home Sweet Home North Lakes liquidated after ATO wind-up order
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