A BANKRUPT ESTATE

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 19 November 1932, Page 9

A BANKRUPT ESTATE

DEBTOR ALLEGES IRREGULARITIES. STATEMENT BY PRINCIPAL CREDITORS. A statement arising out of the report in yesterday’s issue of the proceedings before the Official Assignee in the bankrupt. estate of Ivenehia. Wilkinson, of Olcaiawa, was anode to a “Star” representative to-day by. Messrs E. Dixon, L. Hall (Hawera), and J. Barclay (Okaiawa). Bankrupt, in his sworn statement, alleged that Messrs Halil and Barclay had been appointed trustees l on be-, half of his other creditors and that Lt was arranged that he should pay them £2 a month for distribution among his; creditors as a' whole.. He further stated that a, .sum of £26 was paid from' August 20, 1931, to October 6 of this year. Bankrupt alleged that this suim had been distributed among three creditors, Messrs Dixon, Hall and Barclay, and that, had it been distributed in accordance with the arrangement that, he asserted had been' made, he would not- have been forced into his present position. The .Official Assignee, at yesterday’s meeting, stated that if such an arrangement had been made he would take action to recover the whole of the monies paid to the three creditors mentioned. Messrs Dixon, Hall and Barclay waited upon the “Star” to-day to state that had they been present at the meeting they would have denied that there had been any assignment of the debtors’ estate or that Messrs Hall and Barclay had acted as trustees for the other creditors. Bankrupt filled his position on November 10. In July, 1931'. he had met his three principal creditors, in company with his own solicitor, and had: agreed to pay J them £2 per month. Messrs Dixon, Barclay and Hall stated that) the debtor" at that juncture, had stated that he would make other arrangements for the payment of his smaller creditors. “We deny that there was any assignment 'of this estate,” said Mr Dixon. “We have sufficient knowledge of the law to know that it is improper for a debtor to make preferential payments, and, it is not likely that debtor’s own -solicitor would have allowed us to have made .such a mistake, supoosing we had known no better. If there had been aaiy suggestion of acting on behalf of other creditors Messrs Barclay and' Hall would not have accepted the arrangement for the pavment of £2 per month.” The “Hawera. Stair” regrets that by its heading and the opening sentence of its 1 report readers; may have been given the impression that the irregularities alleged against the three creditors concerned by the debtor had been proven as facts.