Queensland government loses appeal over $2.7 million payout to fraud victims

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A Gold Coast couple who learnt the house they bought at auction had never legally belonged to them has finally been awarded compensation five years after they moved in.

Transcript

00:00 Jackie and Jess Moorcroft thought they bought their Mermaid Beach home at auction in 2018,

00:07 but five years later they found out that wasn't the case.

00:10 That's because the woman who previously owned the home claimed her signature was forged

00:15 on mortgage documents that led to the sale.

00:18 The state government can still appeal the decision in the High Court, but the Moorcrofts

00:22 are hopeful that won't happen so they can finally close this chapter of their lives.

00:28 She later sued the couple to get the house back, but the court found the Moorcrofts

00:32 had also been victims of mortgage fraud and ordered the state government to pay them compensation.

00:37 The state of Queensland appealed the compensation order, arguing the Moorcrofts had contributed

00:42 to their loss.

00:43 But today, that appeal was dismissed and the state was ordered to pay legal costs plus

00:48 the $2.7 million in compensation the couple were originally awarded in the Supreme Court

00:54 case.

00:55 The Moorcrofts gasped when the decision was read out in court today and say they're hopeful

00:59 this is the end of years of torment.

01:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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