BAILIFFS IN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 82, 8 April 1931, Page 8

BAILIFFS IN.

RACING CLUB EMBARRASSED.

ALL MONEYS IMPOUNDED.

TOTALISATOR BUILDING DEBT

Armed with an order of the Supreme Court, bailiffs, acting on behalf of a creditor, stepped into the office of the secretary of the Waipapakauri Racing Club on the course near Kaitaia on Easter Monday when the annual race meeting was in progress and impounded all moneys taken that day in admission charges and nomination, acceptance and riding fees, also members' subscriptions. The meeting was a non-totalisator one and the stake money allotted to the programme of six events amounted to £250.

The cause of the bailiffs being put in was the failure of the Waipapakauri Racing Club to meet a judgment for

over £250 in favour of an Auckland firm which had supplied timber for the building of a totalisator house. The timber was supplied over a year ago, since when frequent demands had been made by the creditor, upon the club for payment, but as the account had not been met the creditor sued and got judgment against the club. No payment at all had been made and when judgment was secured offers were made by the club to give promissory notes extending over a period to meet the debt, the promissory notes to be signed by the club.

The creditor would not accept promissory notes signed by the club, but was prepared to accept them if they were signed by all the members of the committee, so that the committee would be jointly and severally responsible. As the committee members were not willing to do this, the creditor took further action and had a warrant served upon the secretary on the course on Monday, when the bailiffs took charge of the whole of the moneys taken at the meeting.

The opinion is expressed by Mr. T. J. Fleming, president of the club, that the result of the action taken by the creditors will probably force the club into liquidation. Yesterday his committee held an emergency meeting, when it was decided that whatever may be the result of the action taken the committee will see that winning owners and jockeys are paid in full.