FRAUD ALLEGED

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 286, 17 August 1926, Page 4

FRAUD ALLEGED

BANKRUPT FARMER’S DEAL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. New Plymouth, August 16. Allegations of fraudulent intent on the part of a farmer in transferring his-pro-perty and effects to his wife nrior to his bankruptcy were made in the Supreme Court during the bearin'’ of an action brought by the district Official Assignee against Martha Knapton. The case is one in which application is made to have declared void certain documents relating to tho transfer of property by T. Knapton. recently a dairy farmer, of South Taranaki to his wife, who is defendant in the proceedings. Counsel for plaintiff alleged that Kna-pton performed a number of acts intended to bring pressure to bear on a mortgagee so that the mortgagee would take back a farm bought from him by Knapton at boom prices and that because be was not sticcessfu' he transferred his assets to his w.'e and walked off the property. Briefly the case consisted of an action bv ‘be district Official Assignee to have t-cuir assignments made bv Knapton unset Knarton originally held a lease from a man named Hutchinson, from whom he evintnallv obtained the freehold of the property. Plaintiff subnvt’mi that nfiei tbe slump in 1921 Knap ton foresaw that when the purchase monev ''or t ie nropertv became due tim oronertv would not be worth whet hr had pail for it so he accordingly tranrferrod this p-nperty to his wife. Tho ixtse is yet completed.