Flo Rida Wins, Promoter Liquidates

Liquidator Scott Turner confirmed Mothership owes almost $200,000 to the Australian Tax Office, as well as smaller debts to a handful of other unsecured creditors, including director Brent Lean.

In mid-2012, a New South Wales court ordered that the rapper and VIP Entertainment and Concepts pay Mothership about $350,000 in damages to profit and reputation, and nearly $35,000 in legal fees. But the New South Wales Court of Appeal Aug. 20 overturned the decision.

There has long been a dispute as to why the platinum-spinning rapper pulled out of the festival at the last minute.

When announcing the no-show, Mothership told the hostile Fat As Butter audience the “Low” singer had slept in. Flo Rida maintained dissatisfaction with his accommodation and transport.

The crux of the appeal was that the earlier judge had set a precedent when agreeing that the rapper could be served his papers via Facebook.

The appeals judges, however, found this was unsatisfactory as it could not be proven that the page was definitely Flo Rida’s and that he accessed it.

The findings read in part, “The evidence did not establish, other than by mere assertion, that the Facebook page was in fact that of Flo Rida and did not prove that a posting on it was likely to come to his attention in a timely fashion.”

The judges added that the rapper “could have been personally served with the District Court Statement of Claim” because the evidence showed that he was in Australia at the time.

However, processors acting for Mothership had complained that the rapper’s entourage refused to let them come close enough to serve the papers.

Brent Lean emphasized that Fat As Butter 2013 would still be staged in October regardless.

“The festival has been successful since 2008 and will continue to grow and be a major player in the festival market for many years to come,” he told the local Newcastle Herald.