Property Marketeer Finally Pays Up

OPINION
by Tim O’Dwyer M.A., LL.B Queensland Solicitor & Consumer Advocate watchdog@argonautlegal.com.au

Earlier this year The Australian Real Estate Blog reported how Christopher Bilborough, described by The Courier Mail as “one of the former king-pins of Queensland’s insidious property marketeering industry”, had not been served after some years with any process by the Office of Fair Trading to recover $860,000.00. Bilborough was allegedly liable to reimburse a government-established claim fund which had paid this sum out to several ripped-off marketeering victims.

Then this month The Courier Mail reported that Bilborough had narrowly avoided bankruptcy proceedings after finally paying off his judgement debt to the Quensland Government.

The Fair Trading Minister had earlier told the Queensland Parliament she had hauled her Director-General over the coals and directed both service of Bilborough and recovery of the moneys be priorities. The good news (for Fair Trading) was he was eventually served. The bad news (for Fair Trading) was that in due course the Supreme Court ruled that Bilborough was liable on only two of Fair Trading’s seven claims so he was judicially ordered to pay $242,153.00 – a mere 28% of what Fair Trading sought. In a statement to The Courier Mail the Fair Trading Minister tried to put a positive spin on this lame result: “The judgment means Mr. Bilborough will have to pay the largest penalty imposed for two-tiered marketeering in Queensland.”

Last month Channel 9’s A CURRENT AFFAIR, in a story about thrice-shafted marketeering victims, mentioned that Bilborough had still not paid one cent of his penalty.

Then this month The Courier Mail reported that Bilborough had narrowly avoided bankruptcy proceedings after finally paying off his judgement debt to the Quensland Government. The story so far was summed up this way:

”The debt arose from a Supreme Court order last year that Bilborough must pay the chief executive of the Department of Tourism, Fair Trading and Wine Industry Development for compensation that was paid to victims of his property rorts. It was about a quarter of the amount sought by the Government.

The marketeering scheme involved Bilborough and his company charging clients inflated prices for Gold Coast investment properties.

A number of his clients lodged claims and were compensated from the Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act 2000 Claim Fund. The department then sought reimbursement from Bilborough.”

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