BANKRUPTCY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1190, 21 December 1894, Page 32

BANKRUPTCY.

A bankrupt came up before Judge Denniston the other day who was in the peculiar position of having no debts and no assets* He filed to get rid of a trust liability, but he had found himself in the same position, plus, however, the costs of the bankruptcy proceedings.. On Friday the evidence of a creditor named Crabtree in the Stephenson bankruptcy case, Hawera,- was taken by Mr Martin, S.M. The Official Assignee, it appears, is seeking to attach a payment alleged to have been made by the bankrupt to Crabtree immediately before the bankruptcy. ■ , . At a sitting of the Supreme Court m Banco on Friday, before Mr Justice Richmond, a special case —Mahupuku v. Austialian Mutual Provident Society —was stated. Mr Edwards represented the plaintiff, and Mr Chapman appeared for the defendants. The plaintiff, it appeared, who owns a considerable quantity of Crown land, is desirous of paying off his debts, by mortgaging* his land, but owing to the new Native Land Court Act, it was contended that he could not do so. Judgment was reserved. The creditors in the. bankrupt estate of T. M. Jackson, butcher, Birmingham, have passed a resolution recommending bis immediate discharge. By Telegraph, —Own Correspondent. Masterton, December 14. An important case in bankruptcy was 1 heard, in the District Court this afternoon r

Early in November Mr B. Dawson, of ( Wellington, purchased the lease of a ■ property at Clareville belonging to F. J- j Donovan. When' the purchase was being \ completed he discovered that a lien of | j 6160 on the crops on the property was held by A. G. Pilmer. Before he would complete he required this lien to be paid off.- Donovan agreed to pay the money to dPilmer before it really became-due, but a,sked for and obtained rebate of <£ls to enable him to pay certain creditors in Carterton. A few days afterwards Donovan became bankrupt, and left practically no assets. The Deputy-Official Assignee thereupon instituted, these proceedings to make pilmer show cause why he should not hand over the money for the benefit of the general body of creditors. 4 Mr Bunny appeared for the Assignee, and urged that preference had been Mr Pownall, for the defence, maintained that Pilmer had acted in a lona fide manner without the knowledge of Donovan’s position. . Judge Kettle reserved his decision, stating that points were involved which had neVer before. been decided in the Bankruptcy CWrtsdn-New Zealand.