Hotel owner could lose his property over unpaid rates

A Brisbane hotel owner who had plans to transform his CBD property into a 38 storey, $1.6 billion high-rise, has failed to pay his rates to Rockhampton Regional Council and claims he needs to sell the property to pay the $200,000 bill.

On 9 June, James Chang appeared in Rockhampton District Court where Rockhampton Regional Council is seeking for unpaid rates, unpaid water bills and legal fees amounting to $209,740.56, for Rockhampton Plaza Hotel on George St which has been closed since 2014.

Mr Chang told the court he never received any rates notices and requested paper notices be sent to him.

“For a considerable period of time, the rates haven’t been paid on this property,” Judge Clarke said.

“Council does not have any obligation to give you the rates document in paper view because the original agreement was a bill pay view.”

The judge told Mr Chang that the council is not obliged to carry the hotel owner’s debt.  

A lawyer for Rockhampton Regional Council’s told the court that any adjournment of the matter would be irrelevant and detrimental to council as Mr Chang did not have sufficient funds to pay the debt.

Mr Chang told the court that he would have the money to pay his debt but was waiting for his other properties to sell. 

Mr Chang was granted one further adjournment, with a judgment to be handed down on 16 July.

15th June 2021