Lawyer Donna Sewell’s Tewantin home up for auction following District Court ruling

A Noosa lawyer’s home could be sold via auction after a judge made a costs order in an ongoing case. Read what’s led to the pending sale of the Tewantin home.

The home of prominent Noosa lawyer Donna Sewell is scheduled to go up for auction in the Maroochydore District Court after a judge ordered she pay costs of $35,000.

On June 18, 2021, Judge Glen Cash ordered See Well Law Practice Pty Ltd and Donna Maree Sewell to pay respondent Susan Beverly Barclay $35,000.

Court documents tendered to the Maroochydore District Court showed that Ms Barclay engaged the law practice for work and was billed $4613.20 in relation to the registration of an enduring power of attorney and $4393.65 in relation to a conveyance.

“The respondent was unhappy with the bills,” the court documents stated.

“She sought their assessment pursuant to the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld).

Donna Sewell, pictured in 2010, has not paid court-ordered costs of $35,000 and her home is now up for auction in the Maroochydore District Court. Picture: Geoff Potter

“A costs assessor reviewed the matter and decided that the appropriate fee for the power of attorney work was $89.51 and for the conveyance $1183.71.”

The law practice applied to a magistrate to review the costs assessment, which was dismissed with the firm to pay the respondent’s application costs.

Donna Sewell’s home at Birch Ct, Tewantin.

The law firm then appealed the Magistrate’s decision in the District Court.

See Well Law Practice and Ms Sewell were eventually ordered to pay costs of $35,000.

According to court documents the costs are outstanding and an enforcement warrant, for the seizure and sale of real property, was granted by the court in March, 2022.

The lawyer’s Tewantin home at 9 Birch Ct is now up for auction in the Maroochydore Courthouse on September 21, 2022.

According to information provided by the justice department, a reserve price will be set by the registrar based on an independent valuation from a licenced valuer and is not made public.

There is generally no open house arrangements and any potential bidders need to conduct their own due diligence.

Ms Sewell could still pay the outstanding debt, which would result in the cancellation of the auction.

Ms Sewell declined to comment on the upcoming auction or the case that preceded it.

According to property data, the one-storey home with four bedrooms and two bathrooms was built in 1987 and was last sold in 2011 for $495,000.

Originally published as Lawyer Donna Sewell’s Tewantin home up for auction following District Court ruling