Who Wins Here ?
In life , we need to pay our bills . I'll start from that point . Occassionally , stuff happens , and most people work through things .
I was saddened to read in the weekend ( on Stuff ) about a guy called Lloyd Green . I don't know this guy by the way .
He owned a company called Great Barrier Rental Cars . He had owned it for 20 years . He refused to pay a mechanic somewhere between $5000-7000 , disputing the quality of the work . He was advised the day before it went to court that this guy was taking him to court -- apparently the papers were sent to his old address , which was his ex-wifes house . We can only guess what happened .
Anyway , the next day it went to court , he wasn't fully prepared , the Judge believed the other guy , or this Lloyd guy didn't put up a strong case , or whatever , and he was ordered to pay about $10,000 including the other guys legal fees . He lost .
He didn't/couldn't pay -- presumably part out of spite , but to be fair it does sound like he was short of money , so the Court ordered his business be liquidated . He was then ( at 57 ) out of work , with no income .
He committed suicide .
The business was liquidated . All the assets ( cars ) were sold . All secured creditors were paid . The liquidator billed $119,000 , but only got paid $78,000 as there was no more money . Unsecured creditors were $50,000 ( presumably including the $10k court ordered debt ) , and the IRD $7000 . That may be GST on the sale of vehicles , or it may have been owing for months , it isn't clear .
So one guy ( a divorced/seperated Dad ) is dead . The unsecured creditors and IRD are $57k out of pocket . But you will have noticed that the liquidator got $78k . Which means every debt , without her involvement ( the liquidator was a female ) , would have been paid . It is fair to assume that as a trading company , the debts could have all been paid , and this Lloyd Green would have still been alive . It may have taken time , and I accept we don't know the full circumstances .
But I also fail to understand how a business with $57,000 in debts can be charged $119,000 by a liquidator to 'wind it up' . She may argue she did her job and was paid the allowed rate for the hours worked , and that her job was made more difficult by the fact the guy had died . But surely common sense would kick in somewhere ?
Poll: Do you think banning gang patches is reasonable?
With the government cracking down on gangs, it is now illegal for gang members to display their insignia in public places whether through clothing or their property.
This means arrests can be made if these patches are worn in places like restaurants, shops, on public transport or ferries, and on airplanes. Arrests were made recently at a funeral.
Do you think this ban is reasonable?
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76.4% Yes
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22.3% No
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1.3% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Have you come across many roadworks sites recently?
The frustration of seeing a detour sign partway through your journey on the main highways possibly the new way forward when it comes to roadworks.
One of the latest areas to have a section of the road blocked off is State Highway 1 between Putāruru to Tokoroa as part of a massive renewal project that extends down to Waiouru.
Have you come across many roadworks sites recently?