Roberta Williams to use constitution in fight to keep home
IN a legal challenge reminiscent of classic Aussie film The Castle, Roberta Williams will use the constitution in an attempt to save her home from the taxman.
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IN a legal challenge reminiscent of classic Aussie film The Castle, Roberta Williams will use the constitution in an attempt to save her home from the taxman.
Ms Williams has vowed to fight the Australian Taxation Office all the way to the High Court, claiming her ex-husband, gangland boss Carl Williams, was wrongfully dudded out of payment for his co-operation with police.
Ms Williams, who has now enlisted the help of a “constitutionalist”, has been embroiled in a bitter battle with the ATO and the de facto of her deceased father-in-law, George Williams, over his estate.
Ms Williams fears being evicted from her Essendon home by the ATO over a near $900,000 debt owed by George Williams’ estate.
She claims Victoria Police welshed on its deal with Carl Williams to pay his father’s debt to the ATO in return for helping police.
Before the deal was axed Ms Williams claims Victoria Police paid $576,000 into an ATO holding account but almost a year later took it back.
She alleges police legal service director Findlay McRae killed off the tax deal in a letter to Carl Williams’ lawyer two months before her former husband’s murder.
“It is now clear that the proposed arrangements relating to the taxation affairs of your client’s father are no longer an option for Victoria Police,” the letter allegedly says.
Ms Williams says the force then ``concealed’’ a High Court appeal ruling which she claims should have seen the tax debt deal honoured.
She also fires a salvo at the force for pulling out of paying private school fees of her daughter, Dhakota, which Carl also arranged.
In his will George Williams left a Broadmeadows home to his de facto, Kath Bourke and the Essendon property to his only grandchild, Dhakota.
George Williams fought the ATO for years over his tax affairs but before he died in 2016, he did a deal with the ATO.
He agreed to mortgage the Essendon house to the tax office in return for it not pursuing his debt, before his claim for damages over his son’s death was heard.
George received no compensation for Carl’s death and then refused to pay the ATO back before his death. Dhakota received a payout, which is in a trust.
The ATO has piled on more than $300,000 in fines and interest on the original $576,000 tax debt George Williams owed.
Under the secret deal Carl made with police he was also set to get 10 years off his 35 year minimum sentence for four gangland murders.