FARMER'S LAND DEAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 156, 1 July 1916, Page 9

FARMER'S LAND DEAL.

MISREPRESENTATION DENIED BY 'AUCKLAND AGENT. When the first meeting of the creditors of srtlmr Gilbert Diprosc, farmer, of Basque Road, Auckland, was held at the office of the Official Assignee yesterday afternoon, there was not a. quorum present, and the meeting was unable to transact business. Diprose, whose schedule of affairs and explanation of bankruptcy has been published, attributed his failure to a property deal. He exchanged a farm at Pokeno (on which, life owed money) through a land agent named McNeill, for a farm'at Ararimu, a mortgaged house at Edcndaie, and a third mortgage over a farm at Te Hana. He completed the deal without inspecting the property, and subsequently blamed the agent for misrepresenting its value, and refused to pay him commission of £130, a suit io obtain vhicli! forced him into bankruptcy. His statement of affairs showed a nominal surplus of £4,877. Mr. 11. .T. Durham represented the bankrupt at the meeting, and Mr. A. K. Skelton Mr. McXeill. The Official Assignee (Mr. W. S , . Fisher) announced that lie had received a letter from a firm of solicitors -written on be-half of Mr. Francis, pointing out that Dir-rose and Francis took possession of their respective new properties Gvo months ago. that. Diprose was unable to mppt his obligations, and by his continued defaults involved the other party in the deal in serious loss, to recover which lie intended taking proceedings against the estate for damages. Mr. Francis complained that Diproso represented that no was the registered owner of the Pokeno farm, a.nd that he had a half interest with his brother in n. valuable farm property in the Bay of Plenty, whereas he only held a receipt for tnc <iGpoPit on tno PoWono farm. Under these circumstances Mr. Francis very much resented the. statement Diprose had made. Mr. Skelton explained that he appeared because the hankrupt had made n statement which cast a very grave reflection on Mr. McXeNl, and asked that his client should be given an immediate opportunity of ranking a statement on oath as to the circumstances under which the negotiations were conducted. Creditors expressed a desire that Mr. Francis should also be given an opportunity of attending in person to narrate the circumstances of the deal, and the Assignee thereupon suggested that MrMcNeill's statement should be deferred until Francis's attendance was secured. In acquiescing in this course. Mr. Skelton observed that Mr. McKeill was in n position to refute the allegation of misrepresentation made againrt him, and to show that it was absolutely without foundation. The meeting was adjourned until Wednesday next.