Legal battle with DoT ends in boat sale

A long legal battle between a former Bunbury boat owner and the Department of Transport appears to have ended as the department prepares to sell the vessel.

Stuart Hardy has been locked in the legal battle after refusing to pay fees for storage at the Department of Transport’s Casuarina Boat Harbour, as well as registration fees, after he claims he was wrongfully billed.

Mr Hardy, who now lives in New Zealand, claims the boat did not need to be registered because it was in storage and not on the water.

Since then the boat has been repossessed and is under the control of the Department of Transport.

Now the 18m cray boat, True Blue, is being advertised for tender after a court case earlier this year ruled in the favour of the Department of Transport.

The department’s coastal infrastructure general manager Steve Jenkins said the owner of True Blue had many opportunities over a long period of time to remove the vessel from the Department of Transport facility at Casuarina Boat Harbour.

“Last year DoT initiated action under the Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act to have the vessel removed, ” he said.

“Following court proceedings in June a general order was issued in favour of DoT.

“In line with the court order, DoT recently advertised a tender for the sale and removal of the True Blue from DoT land within Casuarina Boat Harbour.”

Mr Hardy has previously complained to the CCC and the State Solicitor’s Office about the issue.

The boat’s original worth is estimated at more than $750,000.

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