SALE OF FRUIT FARM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22432, 29 November 1934, Page 10

SALE OF FRUIT FARM

<» ALLEGATIONS OF FRAUD CLAIM FOR DAMAGES (Pee United Pbess Association) AUCKLAND, November 28. Baser! on the allegation that worthless land near Kaeo had been fraudulently sold to a London architect in 1930 for the purposes of a citrus fruit farm the claim for £1144 damages was further heard in the Supreme Court to-day. The plaintiff was Tom Walter Thornton, fanner, of Matamata, who proceeded against William Henry Ball, a former director of New Zealand Citrus Plantations, Ltd. In opening the case for the defence Mr Meredith-said the claim was a strange one based on fraud as against one director and one director only. It was based largely on a magazine article published in London when'" Ball was 10,000 miles away. The unfortunate failure of the company was largely due to disunion among "the directors. Ball and other directors had relied, as they were entitled to rely, on the reports on the property made by experts and directors who had visited it. Mr Meredith will continue his address to-morrow.