Former residents of derelict retirement village Berkeley Living in Patterson Lakes, Victoria, may see finally see some financial redress, with the Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) considering making an application to the state Supreme Court on their behalf.
The village, which was closed due to safety concerns in 2017, became an “eyesore” and a “cesspool for crime”, and residents have been fighting to get their money back ever since; the City of Kingston earlier this year urged the State Government to acquire the site, Council having spent more than $100,000 on security in the last five years.
According to a public notice, the CAV application – should it proceed – will be made on behalf of former residents who have not had their refundable ingoing contributions returned.
“It will seek various Court orders to enforce a charge securing the repayment to affected former residents (or their estates), of in-going contributions paid by them to the former manager(s) of Berkeley Living, some or all of which remain refundable; and to determine the entitlements of the affected former residents to payments for those refundable in-going contributions,” the notice reads.
Berkeley Living has been a long-running saga for the Victorian retirement village sector, with CAV previously taking former owner Stephen Snowden to court over the debacle in 2018.
