More jobs to go as franchise falls

Nelson's David Reid Homes franchise has been put into liquidation – and the company's spokesman, Wayne Vollmer, has gone to Botswana.

Yesterday the High Court at Nelson appointed Malcolm Hollis and Rhys Cain of PricewaterhouseCoopers as joint liquidators.

This morning Mr Hollis said they had been advised by Mr Vollmer's daughter Amanda – the company's sales manager – that her father was in Botswana and would return on May 30. They would be seeking a meeting with him as soon as he got back.

It was too early to say what the company's financial position was, Mr Hollis said, but they had been emailed "a significant amount of detail" and had begun working through it.

The David Reid Homes head franchisor had terminated the franchise agreement and the company had effectively ceased trading. Any unfinished contracts had been taken back by the head franchisor.

Mr Hollis said they expected to receive a full list of debtors and creditors today. The company's assets were "modest".

The liquidators did not expect to have any work for the remaining five staff.

The commissioner of Inland Revenue applied to have David Reid Homes Tasman placed in liquidation on March 30.

Since then two of its sub-contractors have told the Mail they had been waiting for months to be paid.

Mr Vollmer is also behind the large Galeo Estate subdivision in Redwood Valley near Mapua.

He said said a fortnight ago that he intended to concentrate on that side of his business.

- © Fairfax NZ News