Unfortunate web development

Tuesday, 24 April, 2001 - 22:00
A PERTH web development company is likely to fall into the hands of a multi-national after a long running dispute with its St Georges Terrace landlord resulted in the closure of its office doors.

Web developer iNature has been shut out of its office since Easter after a legal battle with Brett Wilkins Investments Pty Ltd, the owner of 218 St Georges Terrace.

iNature managing director Philip Hirschberg claimed the fit-out of the office had been incomplete when the company moved into level three just more than a year ago. They withheld rent on a number of occasions to force action and both iNature and Brett Wilkins Investments exchanged writs on the matter.

The dispute came to a head when the building’s owner demanded $90,000 in back payment and changed the locks over Easter.

Mr Hirschberg said he is looking to sell iNature to an unnamed multinational company.

“The assets are definitely going to be sold and it’s likely an international company will step in and buy it,” he said.

“It’s likely the sale will go ahead inside the next month but the heads of agreement will probably be signed this week.”

iNature is the second new media company to go under in as many months. US-based Xpedior, which had an office in the same building as iNature, shut its doors last month. Until its closure, the four-year old iNature had been a respected internet and e-Commerce developer. It recently won the WA Information Technology & Telecommunications Awards e-Commerce division for the REIWA site.

Brett Wilkins Investments was unavailable for comment.