Truck Repair Group liquidator report finds undeclared vehicles and shares, queries business sale

The liquidator of a national truck repair group has questions about undeclared company shares and vehicles and said it may have traded insolvent from 2022. Details and full creditor list:

The liquidator of a national truck repair group has found the company now operating the large-scale business paid significantly less than it was worth.

Truck Repair Group (NQ), which ran businesses from Sydney to Cairns, went into voluntary liquidation on December 10 owing more than $3.1m – but is still being operated by the same family.

The liquidator also had questions about undeclared company shares and vehicles and said TRG may have traded insolvent from 2022.

Suppliers, contractors and lenders in three states are owed money by the Gold Coast-based group, which has a head office in Arundel and also has bases in Sydney, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns. The organisation has said it is doing nothing wrong.

The company is solely directed by Hope Island man Scott Andrew Hunter, 53, while its sole shareholder is Natalie Hunter, who has the same registered address.

The company has traded as Truck Repair Group (NQ) and six other variations of the TRG name, as well as FYI Parts and Accessories.

Scott and Natalie Hunter of Truck Repair Group.

The company’s assets were sold to a company directed and held by Mr and Mrs Hunter’s children, Jasmine and Joshua Hunter, the day before the liquidation.

A report from liquidator Nick Combis of Vincents said the new company had agreed to pay $117,243 for TRG’s business operations and assets, an amount which should have been $262,543 as “a best-case scenario”.

The liquidator said he had requested funds from the new company, including a $70,000 instalment already due under the existing sale agreement on March 9 and “possible further amount of $192,559”, due by March 17, to cover the shortfall.

Although Mr Hunter did not disclose that any vehicles were owned by his company Mr Combis’s report said he’d found 44 vehicles were currently or previously registered in its name – including 14 Great Wall utes, six Mercedes-Benz sedans and wagons, three Audi Q7 wagons and nine box trailers.

The report said most had been dealt with in the business sale, but six were not and needed investigation. Three of those had personalised plates with letters matching the initials of members of the Hunter family.

Joshua, Jasmine and Scott Hunter of Truck Repair Group

A company behind Truck Repair Group is in liquidation.

Mr Combis’ report said the collapsed company owned shares in related company, TRG Parts & Accessories, which were not declared by the director and had been transferred after the liquidator had been appointed.

“My investigations of this matter are continuing,” he said.

The report said TRG had operated at a loss since at least 2022 and had possibly been trading while insolvent since June 30 of that year.

Mr Combis declined to comment further on the liquidation, as his investigations are ongoing.

One creditor, owed a five-figure sum by the company, last month said the sale of the business needed investigation.

“Under all the definitions of a phoenix in any dictionary anywhere, that’s what’s happened,” he said.

Responding via a public relations company to seven detailed questions, Mr Hunter said: “the matter is ongoing, and we are actively working with the liquidator”.

Speaking about the matter last month, Mr Hunter denied he had done anything wrong, saying the business was “repurchased legally”.

“I hold my head very, very high and very proud in public and I have nothing to hide.”

Originally published as Truck Repair Group liquidator report finds undeclared vehicles and shares, queries business sale