Company liquidators believe a Christchurch man behind a major tourism development in Blenheim and an upmarket Marlborough lodge now operating in receivership has left the country.
Neil Dougan, of 2 Design and Te Kaikoura Lodge, is believed to be in London, having left New Zealand owing millions ofdollars.
Liquidator Iain Nellies, of Dunedin-based Insolvency Management, confirmed yesterday that his company became involved in the liquidation of both companies about mid-December.
Nellies said he and colleague Wayne Deuchrass had yet to complete a full evaluation of whether there were any remaining assets and had yet to contact Dougan.
But their first liquidators' report for 2 Design last month said they had been told the company had no assets and that Mr Dougan was living in London and unlikely to return to New Zealand.
Te Kaikoura Lodge went into receivership in October but was continuing to operate under the receivers' management.
"It's very much early days for us as liquidators," Nellies said. "We don't know a lot of detail because we haven't been able to contact Dougan."
Dougan is the sole director and shareholder of 2 Design and Warwick Mews Developments, also in receivership and liquidation. The latter company was building a 30 unit apartment block and owed $8.7 million to Dominion Finance Group when it went into receivership in July.
The Marlborough Express reported that Dougan was also behind the company Real World, which had plans for the $16 million Maisonettes on High, a seven-storey complex on Blenheim's High St.
