Saskatchewan investor wins $2M judgment against Stephenville airport owner Carl Dymond

A Saskatchewan antheral whose fiscal backing helped wide the mode for the merchantability of the Stephenville airdrome has won a default judgement of astir $2 cardinal against Ottawa businessman Carl Dymond.

And present that capitalist wants the judgment successful Newfoundland and Labrador registered successful Ontario arsenic well, arsenic helium attempts to recoup the cash.

According to merchantability transportation documents, a Dymond-directed numbered institution acquired the occidental Newfoundland airdrome successful the summertime of 2023 for $6.90 and the outgo of $1.1 cardinal successful existing liabilities.

Mortgage records amusement that Matthew Poppel of Saskatchewan provided Dymond's institution with $1.1 cardinal a fewer months earlier the woody closed. The currency was secured by the airdrome property.

The concern work AllNewfoundlandLabrador.com has reported that the Stephenville airdrome capitalist is the aforesaid Matthew Poppel who won a $55-million Lotto Max jackpot successful 2021.

Court filings obtained by CBC News amusement that relations betwixt Poppel and Dymond flew southbound soon aft the airdrome acquisition.

According to Poppel's connection of claim, filed astatine Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court, the Dymond institution down the airdrome agreed to repay $1.1 cardinal positive involvement by Oct. 12, 2023 — little than 2 months aft Dymond took over.

And days earlier the airdrome woody closed, Dymond personally guaranteed that airdrome debt.

In precocious 2023, Poppel wrote to Dymond and his institution demanding repayment.

But according to the connection of claim, that didn't happen, and the full indebtedness remained outstanding.

• CBC INVESTIGATES | He has a $500M program for an N.L. airport. But his companies and finances person faced turbulence

Poppel sued past April, and won a default judgement successful September erstwhile Dymond didn't record a connection of defence. According to tribunal documents, involvement owed to Poppel during that clip was accumulating astatine a complaint of $1,839.46 a day.

The existent full magnitude owing is $1,972,525, according to a judgement registered against Dymond astatine the provincial sheriff's office. That includes pre-judgment and post-judgment involvement costs.

Poppel wants judgement registered successful Ontario

Poppel has since filed an exertion to person that Newfoundland and Labrador judgement registered successful Ontario truthful it tin beryllium enforced there. Dymond lives successful an Ottawa suburb.

In an affidavit astatine the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Poppel indicated that Dymond was personally served with announcement of the Newfoundland and Labrador judgement successful February.

He noted that Dymond has not moved to acceptable speech the judgment, oregon record an appeal.

"Furthermore, to date, [Dymond] has not paid immoderate information of the judgment," Poppel wrote successful the March 4 affidavit.

"I americium acrophobic that if we bash not proceed to registry and enforce the judgement quickly, [Dymond] volition deplete astir oregon each of his assets and marque enforcement of the judgement adjacent much challenging."

That substance is scheduled to beryllium heard astatine tribunal successful Ottawa successful July.

A connection near for Poppel Wednesday, done his lawyer successful Saskatchewan, was not returned.

Airport facing financial, legal, operational woes

In a abstracted tribunal matter, Dymond's numbered institution that owns the airdrome is being sued for $2.4 cardinal by Tristar Electric implicit unpaid bills related to enactment connected the airport's runway lighting system. That assertion has not been tested successful court.

When the substance was called astatine Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court successful St. John's earlier this month, Dymond was not there. His company's lawyer, who was present, got support from the justice to retreat from the case, citing unpaid ineligible bills. That lawsuit is owed backmost successful tribunal May 1.

The ineligible woes travel astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic operational problems — quality that the airdrome successful Stephenville has been downgraded to a "registered aerodrome," pursuing an authoritative announcement that was issued Feb. 28.

• Stephenville's airdrome is nary longer an airport

This means pilots utilizing Stephenville are expected to interaction the proprietor of the installation to guarantee it is compliant with Canadian Aviation Regulations.

When reached earlier this month, Dymond said successful a connection the crushed the classification was changed is "due to improper enactment coating connected the runway and taxiways."

He said helium has hired a contractor to implicit the enactment needed, and that is expected to commence successful May. 

To date, the airdrome has not paid spot taxes to the town. According to caller municipality estimates, that measure is approaching $500,000.

• New Stephenville airdrome proprietor inactive hasn't paid immoderate spot tax, measure grows to $500K

All this is simply a stark opposition to the celebratory announcement Dymond made successful 2021, which elaborate his immense plans for the airport, including the manufacturing of drones the size of a Hercules aircraft, hundreds of millions successful spending, and the instauration of thousands of jobs.

Dymond did not respond to requests for remark Wednesday.

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