SALE OF LADDER AT AUCTION

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23941, 7 May 1943, Page 6

SALE OF LADDER AT AUCTION

CLAIM FOR £IOO DAMAGE A claim lor £IOO damages was made by Leslie Hecc, trading as the New Zealand Salvage Company, in the Reefton Magistrate's Court, against Worksop Extended Cold Dredging Company (in liquidation), and T H. Lee, trading as McMahon and Lee, concerning the conduct of an unreserved auction sale of certain dredge material conducted by T. H. Lee as auctioneer. Leslie Hecc gave evidence that he attended the auction sale of the dredge material, and made a bid of £1 for the dredge ladder. The bid was accepted He claimed that the ladder was knocked down and sold to him for this figure On going to pay for other goods bought, he was told that the ladder had not been sold to him. and that the auctioneer had passed the ladder in. T H Lee. jun.. who was auctioneer's clerk on the day of the sale, gave evidence that the ladder cost £470 when now He did not record the bid and was not told that the ladder had been sold to Mi Hecc. as the auctioneer passed the ladder over for another article, after remarking that no one wanted the ladder Herbert Gebbic. engineer, ot Reefton. described the conduct of the auction sale, and said that the bid ot £1 toi the ladder was a ridiculous amount Whiles regarded this bid as a joke, and knew that the laddei was not sold to M' Hecc nor was if knocked down to hi; n I B Discaciati (Reefton), who also attended the sale, rave evidence ot the putting up ot the dredge ladder by the auctioneer He did not consider that a bid had been made, but thought the amount ot £1 was an offer by Mr Hecc T H Lee, auctioneer, of Reefton. in evidence, said he did not regard the bid of £1 for the ladder as a serious one The bid was not accepted and he passed on alter this to auction more material After hearing legal argument. the Magistrate 'Mr G G Chisholm, S.M.). said that he would reserve his election and added that the legal point raised by counsel would have to be considered before a decision could be made.