Reclusive lottery millionaire sues to evict his ex-wife’s parents from a $3million mansion as he divorces her
- David Railton Kennedy said he let his-laws live rent-free in the property
- He also bought Mercedes as a gift for mother-in-law, a court claim states
- Ex-wife’s parents applied to have case stayed pending related proceedings
A millionaire who turned a massive foreign lottery win into a business empire wants his ex-wife’s parents evicted from his huge mansion.
David Railton Kennedy, 50, is divorcing his wife Sasha, 48, whose mother and stepfather live in a $3 million mansion in Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.
New Zealand-born Mr Kennedy said he let Joanne, 68, and Michael Podmore, 62, live rent-free in the property, which has panoramic views of the coast, since 2016.
The reclusive millionaire who lives in a $30 million Mermaid Beach compound also bough a Mercedes C200 as a gift for Mrs Podmore in 2012, court documents claim.
David Railton Kennedy (pictured right) with his wife Sasha (pictured left) from whom he is getting divorced
Mr Kennedy filed a claim in Queensland’s Supreme Court seeking to evict his in-laws, the Courier Mail reported.
His lawyers wrote to the Podmores last July saying that unless they paid $2.1 million, he would sell the four-bedroom home.
The Podmores then lodged a caveat over the house in Gabrielle Grove in August, and Mr Kennedy now wants that removed and vacant possession to sell it.
The in-laws claimed in oral agreements they spent money renovating the property and the caveat protected their stake they earned from the improvements.
In response, Mr Kennedy said the Podmores were never the owners and any upgrades they did were for lifestyle reasons and not to increase the home’s worth.
The Burleigh home, which boasts panoramic views of the coastline, is owned by Mr Kennedy’s company Railton Holdings Pty Ltd, as trustee for the Burleigh Property Trust.
The claim also said the property is owned by Mr Kennedy’s company Railton Holdings Pty Ltd, as trustee for Burleigh Property Trust.
David Railton Kennedy wants his in-laws out of a property in Gabrielle Grove, Burleigh Heads. Picture from realestate.com.au
The claim also said the Podmores ‘enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle’ and ‘generated wealth’ through his business success.
Mr Kennedy claimed they previously lived rent-free in a $5 million beachfront apartment he owned on Albatross Avenue in Mermaid Beach for two years, ending in December 2011.
He also claims that around that time an employee told him Mr Podmore was struck off the solicitor’s roll for professional misconduct.
Mr Kennedy claimed that in June 2011 he told Mr Podmore he would no longer lend him money to run his sushi restaurant.
‘Mike, the more money I lend you, the faster these phone calls come. I’ll give you this loan, but I am not loaning you any more money for the business,’ Mr Kennedy claimed he said after agreeing to pay a $38,000 tax and superannuation debt for the business.
David Railton Kennedy (pictured top) with his wife Sasha (pictured bottom) from whom he is separated
‘Don’t tell Joanne, Sasha or anyone else about these requests,’ Mr Podmore allegedly replied.
Mr Kennedy’s documents also claimed he did not get his loans repaid when the sushi business was sold.
The Podmores are defending the claim and applied to have the case stayed pending related proceedings.