05/08/2024
We are publishing this letter which was forwarded to ADAWS last month. Our email server never received a receipt or a read receipt and Lorraine never received a response, therefore we can only assume it was not tabled at the AGM as requested, as we bvelieve everyone should be given a chance to defend themselves.
July 26, 2024
To the Members
Atherton and District Animal Welfare Society Inc
7 Robert St
ATHERTON QLD 4883
Dear members
I’m sure that if someone published a misleading statement that falsely represented you personally, you would want an opportunity to defend yourself. I’m writing to you today to ask you to afford me the same courtesy you would expect for yourself.
The following statement forms part of the minutes of ADAWS AGM last year which will go on record. I write this letter to set the record straight.
Brian Norton ........ was advised that ARCAT had received, as a final settlement $15,000 (her average annual assistance), together with an amount of $21,500+ from a Go Fund Me account. Mr. Anthony Duncan advised that since Animal Rehoming Cairns and Tablelands was a business name only, they in fact did not have the right to request or ask for payment of any kind. The matter was closed by the President, and Mr Norton was advised if he was that concerned that he attend the next meeting.
Whether this is an accurate record of what was said is irrelevant to me. What IS relevant is that it is a misrepresentation of the facts. The committee wants you to believe that ADAWS tried to sue ARCAT and that they kindly paid me an extra year’s donations. Don’t believe it, it’s their spin to mislead you and cover up a blunder. The fact is that six individuals; Iris Crawford; Tony Crawford; Peter Larson; Dawn Pascoe; Fionna Davis and Jan Gardiner filed 6 claims for themselves, against me personally, claiming damages in the amount of $70,000 each. Only for themselves, not for ADAWS. They failed to present any evidence to support their claims. An extract of their claim is attached for clarity. This was never ADAWS suing ARCAT. It was 6 people suing me. Had they won, do you think the spoils would have gone into ADAWS kitty?
The minute states:
1. ARCAT had received, as a final settlement $15,000 .
ARCAT did NOT receive $15,000 as a final settlement. ARCAT is an acronym of a page I own, not a business nor a legal entity so it could not be sued. It was never the defendant, I was, and I received the settlement.
2. together with an amount of $21,500+ from a Go Fund Me account.
Although it was not relevant to anyone but myself and my supporters, I did receive strong support during my fund raising campaign, but I can’t imagine why it was even mentioned in this context. However, it gives me an opportunity now, to say thank you to those members who helped me pay my legal costs.
3. Mr. Anthony Duncan advised that since Animal Rehoming Cairns and Tablelands was a business name only, they in fact did not have the right to request or ask for payment of any kind.
I have no idea who Mr Anthony Duncan is, but I do know that he is either misinformed or talking through his hat. Here’s why . . .
i. Animal Rehoming Cairns and Tablelands is not my business name, Animal Rehoming Tablelands is. My business did not ask for payment as it was NOT the defendant. I was the defendant and I certainly was entitled to ask for costs because I, personally (not my business) had been mischievously accused of something I didn’t do, which forced me to defend at great cost to me personally.
ii. As the defendant, I was two days off lodging two applications to strike. If my applications were successful, ( and I had it on good advice that they would have been), the case would then have gone to court to be heard by a judge and a jury.
iii. Had my applications been heard by judge and jury, the likely outcome would be the plaintiffs having to pay all court costs, their own costs, and my costs. Due to the inability of the plaintiffs to prove neither defamation nor serious harm, they asked to settle out of court.
iv. On their request to settle out of court, I was fair. I did deduct those monies from the fundraiser that I hadn’t put in myself through sales of assets. I also took the advice that the likely figure the courts would award me in costs would be between 50% - 80% of my total costs. I calculated my claim on 50%, the lower figure, and requested a payout of $15,000.
4. “ARCAT had received, as a final settlement $15,000 (her average annual assistance)”
Why mention HER average assistance ? Because they want you to believe that, despite having persecuted me, arbitrarily demanding I return the Caddy, the use of which was approved at an AGM 4 years previously by the members, not the committee; despite making a report to the police that I had stolen the vehicle, falsely claiming they had video footage of me stealing it from behind the shop; despite having contrived to rob me of my membership, ignoring evidence from witnesses who saw me pay my fee to Iris and; despite having stopped my funding without notice nor regard for the 100 odd animals in my care, can you believe they suddenly decided, out of the goodness of their hearts, to donate to me a year’s assistance ? Even though (they say) I wasn’t entitled to ask for a payout ? How unlikely and out of character! No, they had wanted revenge. They let it drag on until they realised they couldn’t win and in fact, had risked having to payout more than ADAWS could afford, meaning they might have to dip into their own pockets. In my opinion that is the only reason they accepted my terms and paid a settlement figure. There was no charity or goodness in their hearts. To continue could have been financially disastrous for them and ADAWS.
I have always been honest, but your committee hasn’t. There was no defamation. No serious harm. I spoke out truthfully, stepped on toes and paid a high price. They have lied. They lied to you, lied to the police, lied to Council, lied to lawyers and lied to an acting magistrate. Whether this “minute” is an accurate transcript doesn’t matter. It is just another lie.
How do six individuals get away with trying to extort $420,000 from a member for their own personal gain, making ADAWS pay for their failed vendetta with charity money? The answer to that question lies with the members who encouraged and enabled them.
Not much more to say other than how disappointing it is to know that if you add up all the lawyers’ legal fees, all the wasted opportunities for profit (e.g the $6000 Council offered that Iris rejected because it would mean she would have to deal with me, and the profit they would have made had they accepted my offer to purchase the Caddy) close to $100,000 was burned. Money raised in part from the sale of goods donated by the public that should have been spent on animals in need. Money I lost that could have saved so many more lives. All wasted on a frivolous court action instigated purely out of spite, that never had a chance of going anywhere.
Thank you for your time.
Lorraine Doornebosch
