Government has applied to wind up the Hamiltonian Hotel & Island Club Ltd. over unpaid taxes, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

The Ministry of Finance is looking to appoint a receiver to liquidate the company, with the case set to be heard before Supreme Court next month.

The establishment has been subject to a number of legal and financial issues dating back decades and was in 2007 said to owe Government about $1.14 million.

And in 2006, former Auditor General Larry Dennis put the business at the top of his 'name and shame' list of the most delinquent taxpayers.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance said: "The Ministry of Finance has applied to wind up Hamiltonian Hotel & Island Club Ltd. on the basis of judgments obtained against the company for unpaid taxes.

"The Ministry is seeking to appoint the official receiver as provisional liquidator of the company. The matter is set to be heard in the Supreme Court of Bermuda next month."

The former operator of the hotel, Harold Stavisky died in 2004 after being declared bankrupt in Bermuda, with a legal battle ensuing between his wife and his estate against the current management group.

A 2003/2004 Auditor General's report revealed that the Hamiltonian was $918,667 in arrears on pension contributions and former Bermuda Industrial Union president Derrick Burgess claimed the property had not made any social insurance contributions in 20 years.

Mr. Dennis, who in 2006, described the Hamiltonian as "an atrocious corporate citizen" and when he appended the list of companies owing the most in payroll tax and pensions contributions to his annual report on Government finances in 2000, it came out as number one.

According to figures as of March 2006, the Hamiltonian owed $561,854 in payroll taxes, $346,408 in land taxes and $232,357 in pension contributions.

The resort, which is located on top of Langton Hill in Pembroke, rents out apartments with swimming pool and tennis court facilities.