In 1994, the couple’s marriage ended, and Malcolm promised Heather he would pay her for half of the house, the court decision said. Brian, a chartered accountant with decades of experience, helped Malcolm with the litigation, as well as another court case Malcolm took against a family trust. The trust proceeding ended in 2016, with Malcolm receiving $935,000, paying $200,000 to Heather and loaning $300,000 to Brian in 2017. The unsuccessful court case left Malcolm on the hook for $230,000 of his father’s executors’ legal costs. Knowing of the loss and subsequent costs, Brian helped him draft a document transferring the $300,000 debt Brian owed over to Heather at the end of September.

Source: New Zealand Herald December 31, 2025 03:30 UTC