A stately Rockland mansion that failed to sell at a June auction is now listed for sale by a creditor, who went to court to recoup mortgage money owed.
The Bank of Montreal said in documents filed in the Supreme Court of B.C. that the mortgage on the 906 Pemberton Rd. property was in default.
The bank said as of August 2015, it was owed $1.8 million. It has court authority to sell the 1910 Samuel Maclure-designed house, which is 7,245 square feet.
Owned by Dayrich Pty Ltd. of Victoria, the Grierson Mansion is now listed at $1.87 million with Roy Banner, of Re/Max Camosun Westshore. Banner did not wish to comment.
It consists of two strata-titled properties and is backed by townhouses. The house looks out onto a large lawn.
Features include six bedrooms, six bathrooms, a wine cellar, billiards room and fireplaces.
The property’s profile soared when it was listed for auction by previous agent Andy Stephenson of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, who said he acted for the owners until the end of July.
Stephenson took the unusual step of setting up a live auction at the mansion, creating a buzz for the property on the Island and beyond. Although property auctions are commonly held in other countries, it is unusual in B.C.
The June 22 event followed two weeks of open houses where local residents and potential buyers could tour the home and learn about its history.
At that time, the house was listed at $1.998 million.
Stephenson brought in a grand piano and had a pianist perform for visitors in the 15-metre-long ballroom.
An undisclosed reserve price was set for the home.
But in the end, the auction did not take place. Among the 60 people who turned out, only one was interested in buying the house. Subsequent discussions did not result in a sale.
After the event, the price for the historic house was put up to $2.2 million.
