Hire-purchase Breach Alleged

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32029, 2 July 1969, Page 8

Hire-purchase Breach Alleged

Mr H. J. Evans, S.M., yesterday reserved his decision until Friday on a charge against Easter Motors, Ltd, of committing a breach of the Hire-purchase and Credit Sales Stabilisation Regulations.

A plea of guilty was entered for the company by Mr A. N. Maclean. The charge arose from a complaint by Mrs E. G. Field that her 1957 Holden car had been sold on her behalf by Derek Norman Goodman, of Easter Motors, for $660 and that she had received nothing from the sale, said Detective Sergeant B. J. Preston.

In November Mrs Field bought the car from Mr Goodman for $540. Mrs Field did not keep up the instalments and in February she told Mr Goodman that if he resold the car for her for $540 she would be satisfied. Mr Goodman said that Mrs Field did not deliver the car to be sold so he sent two employees to her home and repossessed it. Mr Goodman then received a deposit on the car from Mr A. D. Campbell and the sale was completed at a price of $3BO. Mr Campbell paid $5O in cash, and to obtain the necessary finance Mr Goodman arranged for Mr Campbell to show that a Ford Anglia, in Mr Goodman's possession, had been traded in by Mr Campbell. A hire-purchase agreement was entered into between Easter Motors and Mr Campbell, showing the purchase price of the Holden as $660 and the trade-in value of the Ford as $330. The total purchase price of the Holden was shown as $BO5, which included insurance premiums of $BB and finance charges of $57.

The agreement was signed by Earnest James Easter, managing-director of Easter Motors, and Mr Campbell, and witnessed by Mr Goodman. It was financed by a mortgage with a finance company. Mr Goodman gave Mrs Field particulars of the sale of the Holden for $3BO. Mrs Field said that after the car was repossessed she sent two instalments to the finance company, but was told that full payment had been made. After making further inquiries Mrs Field found that the car had been sold for *660, and as she maintained that the car had not been repossessed, she complained to the police.

When interviewed on May 1 Mr Goodman admitted inflating the price of the Holden to obtain the necessary finance for Mr Campbell. Mr Easter told the police that he had employed Mr Goodman as a responsible employee to help him finan-

daily and that as Mr Goodman bad been his accountant and financial adviser he had accepted his decisions. Mr Maclean said he wished to make it clear that he was not appearing for Mr Goodman, but for Mr E. J. Easter, who was virtually Easter Motors.

“Although Goodman had been employed as a responsible employee he was a most irresponsible employee and really is the villain of the piece,” said Mr Maclean. A charge against Derek Norman Goodman of aiding Easter Motors was adjourned to Friday. Goodman did not appear.