Vagabond law student Bruce Lehrmann has been hit with a $13,250 bill for alleged “extensive damage” to the luxury pad provided by Channel Seven in exchange for his exclusive tell-all TV interview.
The former Liberal staffer, who is currently of no fixed address, has been staying with friends and supporters since he left the house three weeks before the end of the lease.
His former landlord Gaenor Meakes is pursuing him for the five figure sum to cover cleaning an unspecified amount of alleged damage.
The pursuit comes as Channel Ten and Lisa Wilkinson pursue Mr Lehrmann for millions of dollars in legal fees and he launches his own appeal.
He is also preparing for a committal hearing that has been set down for June 17 in Toowoomba for a new rape charge. Mr Lehrmann’s lawyers have indicated he will fight the charge and plead not guilty.
But the $10,000 bond paid by Channel 7 is likely to cover the bulk of the claimed expenses for yet unspecified alleged damages.
The dispute is the subject of legal action in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Mr Lehrmann, who did not need attend Wednesday’s hearing, is being asked to pay $13,250 for alleged damage and lost rent.
Lady Gaenor Meakes, the property owner, launched proceedings against him in May with her daughter Matilda Meakes, confirming that the bond payable for the premises was $10,600.
“If the tenant was in appearance we would pursue a process of conciliation, but as of yet there is no appearance either in the tribunal’s AVL line or in person,” NCAT member Elizabeth Searson said.
Previously, the tribunal had heard Lady Meakes was unable to re-list the apartment immediately when Mr Lehrmann vacated it “because of the cleaning that had to be done”.
The Australian reported on Wednesday that outside the tribunal, Ms Meakes said they did not know Mr Lehrmann was the tenant when the lease was first signed.
“It’s been a ride,” Ms Meakes said.
Landlord Lady Gaenor Meakes became increasingly alarmed according to confidantes when she watched her $2 million plus property splashed across the news as a result of its high-profile inhabitant Bruce Lehrmann.
News.com.au understands that Lady Meakes was so distressed at the $2000 rental becoming tabloid fodder that she complained to Channel 7.
But when she contacted billionaire Kerry Stokes’ corporate fixer and media executive Bruce McWilliam to complain, he had to tell her that Mr Lehrmann was her tenant and her problem.
Channel 7’s Finance Department was paying the rent, with court documents suggesting the Spotlight program paid as much as $100,000 for the accused rapist to live there.
But Mr Lehrmann’s name is believed to be on the $2000 a week rental agreement, regardless of the fact that it was Mr Stokes’ Seven Network that was paying the cash.
Sources familiar with the rental agreement say that Channel 7 paid an substantial bond for the property. They questioned what the issue could be to result in legal action suggesting there should be enough in the bond to cover costs.
“Maybe a cleaner costs like $1500? Maybe some touch up gardening, say $1,000?
“I just do not see how there’s a shortfall in the bond.”
Mr Lehrmann’s landlord drama follows his departure from the previous property that Channel 7 rented in Maroubra after neighbours complained that his dog, Sunny was defecating at the property and that nobody was cleaning up the poop.
It was previously suggested that he terminated the lease early as a result of a procession of paparazzi photographers that turned up to document the comings and goings at the property, including a mysterious blonde spotted vaping on the balcony.
Then, there was the dinner party where it was reported that another man, not Mr Lehrmann, was snorting what appears to be white powder in a video uploaded to Instagram.
Another astonishing photo then emerged inside the house where Mr Lehrmann appears to snort a white substance off his dinner table.
However, Mr Lehrmann revealed the image was taken as a joke and actually clearly shows him pretending to snort plain flour.
Mr Lehrmann then supplied another photo himself to prove it was a joke.
“Very clearly this is a joke at the last few days of amateur reporting,” he said.
“This has been an inappropriate invasion of my private life and a violation of my privacy.
“Any direct or indirect insinuation that something nefarious was happening is grossly defamatory.”
The former Liberal staffer moved out of his Balgowlah home on April 5.
Mr Lehrmann was spotted on the move with his friend Rob Porter on that day as former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach continued his evidence in the Federal Court.
Channel 7 sources have confirmed to news.com.au that “Bruce’s accommodation arrangements beyond April 5 have nothing to do with us.”
Earlier this year, Justice Michael Lee found on civil standard of the balance of probability that Mr Lehrmann did rape Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.
Mr Lehrmann is appealing the decision.