JUDGMENT DEBTOR REPRIMANDED.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 February 1918, Page 7

JUDGMENT DEBTOR REPRIMANDED.

PRODUCTION OF BOOKS ORDERED. A judgment debtor's obstinacy and what was described as the "extraordinary action'' of a man lending him £2OOO on insufficient security and allowing it to run for eight or nine years without even collecting any interest were commented on :n the Supreme Court at Wellington on Monday bv the Ohief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), in a judgment summons case yvhich had been removed from the Magistrate's Court. The judgment creditor was J. H. Hooper, and he sought an order for payment of the sum of £220 secured to him under judgment from one David Moris Owens, general contractor, of Wellington. Mr. G. Hutchinson appeared for the judgment creditor and Mr. A. Dunn for the judgment debtor. At a previous sitting of the Court Owens had been ordered to produce certain hooks and records, and his non-production of these was made the subject of severe comment by His Honor. When pressed by Mr. Hutchinson fo* certain particulars supplementary to those in his bank account, v/hich on his own admission bad not been kept since 1013. the judgment debtor remarked: "Well, if you are not satisfied, do the other thing. You know your remedy!" His Honor; The remedy is t'o':send vou into gaol. I think this' is a deliberate attempt to get rid of this judgment. Thi3 man must produce the books and answer questions in a' proper manner or go to gaol. Owem testified that he owned the Forresters' Hall, four houses in Pirie Btreet, and two in Patterson street, These were valued at about £14,000, and were all heavily mortgaged. He had no money with which to meet the judgment. His Honor: Why does ho not file a petition of bankruptcy? Mr. Dunn: I have advised him to go bankrupt, but he thinks that he will continun to struggle along instead. His Honor: Struggle along. That is, ridiculous talk.

According to Mr. Dunn, 'the other ere. ditor3 did not wish the trebtoi- to file. It was their hope to get something some day. If the debtor filed they would get nothing..

His Honor 'adjourned, hearing of the case till tho following morning, and ordered the 3ehtor to have nil books and records on hand which might tend to cast same light on his involved finances. His. Honor warned him at the same time' thftt he was "not going to be humbugged >any longer."