Court reopens Carter Holt Harvey case

The Supreme Court has reopened a Commerce Commission compensation case against Carter Holt Harvey over mislabelled timber.

The commission is trying to recover losses suffered by people and businesses who bought the timber, which was sold as a higher grade than it actually was.

Carter Holt Harvey was fined $900,000 in October 2006 after pleading guilty to 20 charges of breaching the Fair Trading Act for its actions.

The commission filed civil proceedings that month, but the Appeal Court struck out the claim, on the basis that too long had passed since the timber was sold between 1998 and 2003.

However, the Supreme Court said in its weekend ruling that "the claim is not so clearly time barred as to justify being struck out peremptorily without factual questions involved being fully investigated at trial".

The timing issue could be determined then, it said.

The commission said it was pleased with the ruling and would focus on proceedings and begin again trying to find people who had suffered losses.

Up to 60,000 houses and other buildings could be involved, it said.

Anyone who suspected they had bought the misgraded timber could register with the commission on its website. NZPA