by Tara Cosoleto, AAP
Vanessa Amorosi’s mother has been ordered to move out of her Melbourne home so the international pop star can sell the property to pay her restitution.
Amorosi, 43, in August successfully sued Joyleen Robinson in the Victorian Supreme Court for full ownership of the Narre Warren property where her mother lives.
The house was purchased as a result of Amorosi’s success but Mrs Robinson argued it should belong to her as she had paid her daughter the $650,000 they agreed to back in 2001.
Justice Steven Moore ruled the supposed agreement between the pair never happened and Amorosi should have full ownership of the Narre Warren property.
But the judge agreed Mrs Robinson should receive close to $900,000 in restitution from Amorosi, taking into account the $650,000 payment plus interest.
The parties were unable to agree on the exact orders following the August judgment so Justice Moore made further rulings on Monday.
He ordered Mrs Robinson be given 60 days to move out of the Narre Warren property and hand over possession to Amorosi.
The singer-songwriter was also ordered to pay her mother the $650,000 plus more than $219,000 in interest.
Justice Moore ruled the order should be stayed until 31 March, 2025.
He said his decision would give Mrs Robinson time to find other accommodation and for Amorosi to sell the property to gain the funds for restitution.
There will be another hearing in October to determine costs.
Neither Amorosi nor Mrs Robinson attended the Supreme Court for Monday’s judgment.
They both gave evidence during the five-day trial in October 2023, with the performer taking breaks to wipe away tears and compose herself.
Amorosi claimed the $650,000 used to purchase the Narre Warren home in 2001 came from a trust account set up to receive all of her singer-songwriter earnings.
The house was in both her and her mother’s names, with Mrs Robinson alleging Amorosi agreed to hand over full ownership of the Narre Warren home if she paid $650,000 when asked.
Mrs Robinson maintained the agreement was made in February 2001 during a conversation in the kitchen of their former family home.
Mrs Robinson said she handed over $710,000 to Amorosi in 2014 for the loan she took out on her American home, maintaining she fulfilled her end of the housing pact.
But Amorosi told the court she should have full ownership as there was never any agreement in place.
The singer also sought to be the sole owner of her current Californian residence, which was bought through a trust account set up by her mother.
Justice Moore ruled the agreement between Amorosi and her mother never happened and the Narre Warren property should be under Amorosi’s name alone.
“The shifting and inconsistent course of Mrs Robinson’s evidence leaves me entirely unconvinced that there existed a Narre Warren agreement as alleged,” the judge said in his August reasons.
Justice Moore also found Amorosi should be the sole owner of her Californian home, but he agreed Mrs Robinson should receive restitution for the contribution she made to Amorosi’s property in 2014.
