Luke McGuane: Ex-Richmond, Brisbane player before VCAT over rent dispute
Former footballer Luke McGuane has landed before VCAT over claims he owes more than $10,000 in rent, but hasn’t filed any financial hardship requests. He sold his place for $1.65m last year.
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Former AFL footballer Luke McGuane owes more than $10,000 in rent after failing to make regular payments since April, his landlord claims.
Landlord Shannon Nicholson has taken the ex-Richmond and Brisbane player to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to seek to terminate his tenancy at a stylish St Kilda apartment priced at $3085 per month.
In VCAT documents seen by the Herald Sun, Ms Nicholson claimed McGuane was $15,425 in arrears, but had not submitted any financial hardship or rent reduction request forms since his last payment in March.
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But the landlord was paid back some of the debt on Tuesday after the Herald Sun contacted McGuane’s lawyer, Burch + Co’s Nick Burch, for comment.
“Out of the blue on Monday night I got an offer from the tenant via Nick Burch to pay arrears in rent, with $5000 payable straight away,” Ms Nicholson said.
Mr Burch declined to comment on the matter but confirmed a confidential agreement had been made.
Ms Nicholson said the VCAT hearing, which began on August 13, had been adjourned after McGuane was instructed by the Tribunal to apply for a formal rent reduction.
“It beggars belief that a tenant who has not paid any rent for five months, and refuses to submit a hardship application, was afforded further indulgences by the Tribunal to apply for rent reduction,” Ms Nicholson said.
“Apparently our family is required to continue to bankroll the lifestyle of an ex-professional athlete.”
She is still seeking to boot out the 33-year-old when his lease expires in November, but said she feared the extension of Victoria’s eviction moratorium to December 31 could stop her.
McGuane co-founded law firm Burch + Co Lawyers and Albert Park’s Code Black Barbers after hanging up the boots on his 112-game AFL career in 2015.
Before moving into the two-bedroom Wellington Street apartment, he sold a South Melbourne terrace at 396 Dorcas Street for $1.65m in July last year. CoreLogic records show he paid $1.62m for the property in 2016.
Real Estate Institute of Victoria president Leah Calnan said it was disappointing many tenants had been “blatantly not paying their rents” without formal applications for reductions.
“Just as we’ve seen examples of tenants doing it hard during these difficult times, there are an equal number of landlords,” Ms Calnan said.
“A large portion of investors are not eligible for land tax concessions, they have no rent being paid, the tenant is ignoring the property manager and VCAT does nothing.”
Tenants Victoria chief executive Jennifer Beveridge would not comment on McGuane’s case, but said tenants hit by financial hardship should wait just one week to hear back from a landlord or property manager before applying for a formal rent reduction via Consumer Affairs Victoria.
“People are grappling with real financial headache if they can’t make the full rent, not everyone has adequate savings or help from family to get by right now,” Ms Beveridge said.
“We have a fair system in place right now that enables people facing financial hardship due to COVID-19 to seek out a rent reduction.”
Marshall White Stonnington director John Bongiorno confirmed his agency was working through the dispute between the landlord and tenant.
“Most tenants that we’ve come across have tried to do the right thing and paid some sort of rent, but then others are trying to take advantage of the situation,” Mr Bongiorno.
“It’s not only tenants hurting at the moment, but landlords who have still got to repay money and interest at some point for their investment property.”
The agency confirmed it had not received any proof of hardship from McGuane.
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