LOWER DEFICIENCY

NZ Truth, Issue 1207, 17 January 1929, Page 1

LOWER DEFICIENCY

J. BBatchelors ffsteite

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Christchurch Beprescnlratiye) . An escort will leave New Zealand for Melbourne probably this week, and it is anticipated that -by the end of the present month, or early m February, John Black Batchelor, the youn£ Christchurch solicitor, will be back m the sphere of his former activities, to face a charge of theft.

FOLLOWING a meeting of Batchelor's /creditors, debts variously estimated at between .£4OOO. and £ 6000 were sworn against him. On account' of .the' complicated condition of his estate, it was not known what proportion of these debts was secured. When the Canterbury- Law Society syeceeded, in having a Supreme . CoiU'.t' order made, adjudicating Batchelor abankrupt, the estate . automatically fell into the hands of th e Official Assignee, who, assisted by Lawyer William. Hunter and Angus! 'Donaldson (a com; mittee appointed. by the creditors), began the tremendous task of ascertaining the value of Batchelor's estate. It is understood that for .some time before his. departure, Batchelor had allowed his business to fall into a state of neglect, and that his books and files were not up to date. But whatever their condition, the work of realizing the estate was a difficult- job. It .'was the; original belief that Batchelor's only assets were book debts and a few minor mortgages. Batchelor had two houses, but one was m his wife's name and the other was heavily, burdened with mortgages. After two months of thorough investigation, the Assignee announced that certain trust funds thought to be lost were discovered intact. The household furniture at Batche-loi-'s residence, 133 Peterborough Street, together with office furniture artd'.law library, were realized upon by public! auction, and the estate will also benefit to . a slight extent from the equities m three house properties m which Batchelor was interested, and two motoivcars which he used while practising m Christchurch. At the present moment the ac-

' tual value' of Batchelor's estate has hot been ascertained, but it is de- : finitely known that the deficiency is a long way below the original estimate. I^he warrant for Batchelor's arrest was issued hy Leonard Percival Voice, a pelt classer, employed at' the Islington freezing works, ahd living at TSverar'd Street I ,' Spreydon.