Lawyer Donna Sewell’s Tewantin home fails to reach auction reserve price

The home of a prominent Noosa lawyer which was seized over an ongoing bill dispute has gone under the hammer by an order of the court. See the result.

A prominent Noosa lawyer’s home has failed to reach its reserve price after it went to auction due to a court order.

Judge Glen Cash ordered See Well Law Practice Pty Ltd and Donna Maree Sewell to pay respondent Susan Beverley Barclay $35,000 on June 18, 2021 over a billing dispute.

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

Ms Sewell’s Tewantin home at Birch Ct went up for auction on September 21, 2022.

The Sunshine Coast Daily confirmed with the Maroochydore Courthouse the property failed to reach its set reserve price and was passed in.

Noosa lawyer Donna Sewell in 2010. Picture: Geoff Potter

It’s understood it will be up to the enforcement creditors on what will happen next with the property.

Court documents tendered to the Maroochydore District Court showed 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.

Court documents stated the respondent was “unhappy with the bills” and sought an assessment.

“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 court documents read.

Donna Sewell’s home at Birch Ct, Tewantin.

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

Ms Sewell’s firm appealed the Magistrate’s decision in the District Court, but See Well Law Practice and Ms Sewell were eventually ordered to pay costs of $35,000.

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

There are generally no open house arrangements and any potential bidders need to conduct their own due diligence prior to the auction.

It was understood Ms Sewell could still pay the outstanding debt, which would have resulted in the cancellation of the auction.

Ms Sewell declined to comment on the upcoming auction or the case that preceded it when approached for comment previously.

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 fails to reach auction reserve price