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A car makes its way past Conrad Black's home in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, March 2, 2008. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS) Conrad Black leaves though the front gates of his Palm Beach, Fla., mansion in an S.U.V. at about 9 a.m. ET Monday, March 3, 2008 for the three-hour drive to Coleman, near Orlando. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Conrad Black's former Florida home up for sale

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CTV News Channel: BNN's Michael Hainsworth
Conrad Black's former Florida mansion is up for sale and Lululemon athletica gear sees sales above its estimates.
CTV News Channel: Paul Waldie, Globe and Mail
A reporter reveals details about why an oceanfront home once owned by Conrad Black is up for sale in Palm Beach, Florida -- a property that was assessed for the 2009 tax year at a value of US$32.6 million.

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A car makes its way past Conrad Black's home in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, March 2, 2008. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS) Conrad Black leaves though the front gates of his Palm Beach, Fla., mansion in an S.U.V. at about 9 a.m. ET Monday, March 3, 2008 for the three-hour drive to Coleman, near Orlando. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

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A car makes its way past Conrad Black's home in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, March 2, 2008. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

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Date: Thu. Mar. 25 2010 7:48 PM ET

An oceanfront home once owned by Conrad Black is up for sale in Palm Beach, Florida -- a property that was assessed for the 2009 tax year at a value of US$32.6 million.

The sale is being handled by Linda A. Gary, a Palm Beach real estate agent who describes the amenities of the 21,672-square-foot home on her website. They include a three-car garage, five bedrooms, an elevator, six full bathrooms and a movie theatre.

The house sits on a three-acre property and includes about 90 metres of "ocean and Intracoastal waterfront." It also has a two-storey guest house and a "North to South tennis court."

According to the official website of the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser, the estimated taxes on the property are $597,378.82.

Gary's website does not indicate if there is a specific asking price for the property. She did not immediately return an email to CTV.ca requesting comment.

The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser website lists Blackfield Holdings LLC as the current owner of the property.

The Globe and Mail reported in its Thursday edition that Black and his wife, Barbara Amiel Black, transferred the deed of the Palm Beach home to Blackfield Holdings in February to settle a mortgage.

Property records show that the Conrad Black Capital Corporation purchased the property for $9.9 million in July 1997.

Globe and Mail reporter Paul Waldie said Black had prior business dealings with Blackfield Holdings.

"What happened with this house is interesting because he actually transferred ownership of it to an investment firm that had lent him $10-million five years ago," Waldie told CTV News Channel from Toronto on Thursday morning.

But Black owed more than $11 million to Blackfield Holdings when he settled the mortgage in February, Waldie said.

Waldie said the fact that the house is worth about $30 million on paper is interesting, considering that Black sold it at a much smaller price to cover a loan.

"So, we're not really sure of all the details here, but effectively the new owners are the investment firm and they're the ones that it looks like are putting it up for sale," he said.

BNN's Michael Hainsworth told CTV News Channel that Black had put the property up for sale several years ago at a price of US$37 million. But he was unable to sell it.

The 65-year-old Black is currently serving a six-and-a-half year prison sentence in the U.S., after being convicted in 2007 of three counts of fraud and one count of obstruction of justice.

He has appealed his conviction with the U.S. Supreme Court, which has not yet ruled on the matter.

Black is incarcerated at a correctional institution in central Florida, more than 300 kilometres northwest of the Palm Beach property that is currently up for sale.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons website indicates that Black has a projected release date of Oct. 30, 2013.

Comments are now closed for this story

I. Laszlo
said

Gee should we be starting up a fund for him? Where can I send my dollar?


Millicent Wendy
said

Oh dear where ever will Lady Barbara Amiel Black take high-tea??? Poppycock!


Brian H
said

Blackfield Holdings LLC will sell the property for 30 odd million, Conrad (or should I say Barbara) will get a nice kickback (10 - 20 million??) and everybody is happy. Except for all the shareholders and others who got taken. Have a heart people, Connie and Babs need a few bucks to live on.


Bill in North bay
said

Aww, too bad soooo sad, poor little rich crook is gonna loose his shack. Looks good on him. He swindled enough people out of their cash.


Chris
said

Distribution of wealth begins! Watch out poeple with a lot of money! You may lose everything and sent to jail! Socialo-communist USA under the dictatorship of Barak hussein Obama...


Intelligent Liberal
said

I like the north-south tennis court, since I find that the sun can get in my eyes on an east-west court.Certainly Florida is a better location than any Canadian court, and the taxes are less.


Andy
said

I bid $1!


George V.D.
said

With the down turn in the Real Estate market in Florida there will not be the line ups to buy this property as there is for homes and condominiums in Toronto. Somebody will be getting a bargain when a sale eventually will be made.


John
said

Ha, Ha


Marco - Medicine Hat
said

Will the purchase price be discounted to help pay for hauling all the boxes of paper in the basement away for recycling?


Paul ~ Kitchener
said

Isn't it to bad that a nice person like Conrad Back, (convicted felon), will see his humble cottage sold for its cash value.I only hope that this money is directed to those he cheated, to get all his toys and bobbles.Of course, the cash will get gobbled up by the vulture legal sytem, (lawyers etc), and those swindled by this gentleman of character will get to suck wind.Black & Madoff and yet unjailed Bank C.E.O's deserve incarceration in Guantanimo Prison for a duration of 50% of their age.These financial thieves have ruined so many lives, they should be striped all all assets, and not eligible for E.I benefits when they do rejoin the rest of us in society.


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