AUTHORITIES in the US cannot find chart-topping rap group D12 to serve them with an Australian lawsuit - and are charging $95 to try again.
D12, famed for its ties with bad-boy rap star Eminem, are being sued in the Adelaide Magistrates Court by the liquidators of the Heatwave music festival.
The liquidators want the group - whose members have included Kuniva, Bizarre, Kon Artis and the late Proof - to refund a $35,000 fee it was paid to perform in SA last year.
Documents filed with the court allege D12 was contracted to perform at the three-day Heatwave event at Middleton in January 2012, but "no-showed".
At the time, The Advertiser reported the group had "reportedly missed its flight'' and therefore the festival.
In their statement of claim, the liquidators assert D12 breached its contract.
"On or around November 2, 2011, the defendants entered into an agreement with Heatwave's organisers (and) were paid two instalments of $US18,000,'' they assert.
"The defendants failed to perform at three of the festivals, in breach of the agreement.
"(We) are entitled to a refund of the total monies paid.''
In November last year, the lawsuit was adjourned so the liquidators could serve papers on D12 and its management.
Today, Magistrate Kym Millard said the court had received a letter from the US, informing it that the lawsuit had not been presented to the rappers.
"The communication comes from a process server, advising they are the (responsible) agent (for serving documents) in the US," he said.
"The server is requesting a fee of $95 ... let's hope they can locate the parties before the next court date."
He adjourned the case until September.
D12, also known as The Dirty Dozen, achieved mainstream success after Eminem rose to international fame.
Their albums Devil's Night and D12 World debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard Top 200 chart, and songs including Fight Music and Purple Pills were highly successful.
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