The Crown's 3D computer-generated walkthrough of Philip Polkinghorne and Pauline Hanna's home. Video / supplied
Remuera mansion where Pauline Hanna died is poised for sale and valued at about $6 million.
Hanna’s husband Philip Polkinghorne transferred ownership to his sister in December - the same day a mortgage was lodged against the property.
The retired eye surgeon is believed to have amassed a large legal bill successfully defending a murder charge.
The multimillion-dollar Auckland mansion where health executive Pauline Hanna died is about to be listed for sale, after Philip Polkinghorne transferred ownership to his sister.
The Upland Rd, Remuera property at the centre of the murder trial leading to Polkinghorne’s acquittal is about to go back on themarket, having twice failed to sell since Hanna’s death at Easter 2021.
The four-bedroom mansion has an estimated value of $5.4 million, though an expected sale price has yet to be divulged.
Polkinghorne, who was acquitted in September last year of his wife’s murder, confirmed to the Herald on Sunday he no longer lived at the property.
“I moved out ... I am looking forward to the future,” he said.
The retired eye surgeon also confirmed the ownership of the property had been transferred to his sister, Ruth Hughes, after the High Court at Auckland trial ended.
The change in ownership was “partially true”, he said but declined to comment further.
“Where I have moved to is my personal business ... thank you, bye-bye.”
Ruth Hughes with her brother Philip Polkinghorne. Hughes owns $6m Remuera mansion. Photo / Dean Purcell
Property records show Polkinghorne transferred ownership of the Remuera house to his sister in December.
On the same day, a mortgage was lodged against the property.
Polkinghorne is believed to have amassed significant legal bills after successfully defending the murder charge. The Crown had alleged he strangled Hanna at the house and staged the scene to look like a suicide. The defence said the health executive was highly stressed and took her own life.
Polkinghorne’s lawyer Ron Mansfield KC declined to comment on whether his client had settled his legal bills.
The jury found Polkinghorne not guilty of murder, but said they did not think there was enough evidence to support that Hanna committed suicide.
At trial, jurors were shown police photos and a video tour of the Remuera house as the Crown argued its case. The jury also visited the property.
An evidence photo of rope found at the Remuera house the day Pauline Hanna died. Photo / NZ Police
Property law expert Joanna Pidgeon, a director at Pidgeon Judd, said it was not uncommon for people who had been subject to media scrutiny — and with a recognisable name — to transfer a property to a spouse or relative when they sought to sell it.
“If a property is owned by a trust, and a well-known person is one of the trustees, it is not unheard of for them to resign as a trustee so that their name is no longer on the title to delink their name from the property — so it might still be owned by the trust, but their personal reputation is removed from the property,” she said.
“Another reason to transfer the property, or to resign as a trustee, might be if there were difficulties raising finance due to a trustee’s past conduct or notoriety, so removing that person’s name from the title might assist if finance needed to be obtained.”
Pidgeon noted real estate agents may have duties to disclose when selling a house if there had been a murder or suicide at the property, depending on how long ago the event happened and whether there was a degree of notoriety among other considerations.
“A change in property ownership might lessen disclosure obligations but advice should be sought in the circumstances as to what is needed to be disclosed.”
Property poised for sale
Bayleys Remuera real estate agent Gary Wallace confirmed the house would soon be listed for sale. He declined to discuss the vendor.
The sprawling mansion in Upland Rd was originally marketed by Ray White in 2021. The house was taken off the market in July that year. It was then listed by Sotheby’s International Realty in June 2022 and again failed to sell.
The house at 121 Upland Rd Remuera is about to be listed for sale again.
Polkinghorne and Hanna bought the house for $1.025m in November 2002.
The following year the property was transferred to the trustees, Polkinghorne, Hanna, and his sister, Hughes.
In June 2021 it had a rateable value (RV) of $6.2m
Philip Polkinghorne's $6m mansion is now owned by his sister Ruth Hughes. The property is about to listed for sale by Bayleys Remuera.
The property has four bedrooms and three bathrooms, with ocean views from the second storey.
“So private behind immaculately groomed hedges in manicured grounds, this magnificent 376 sq m home was superbly designed with a clever floor plan for unparalleled family comfort,” the 2022 NZ Sotheby’s International real estate advertisement said.
The property has 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and views across the Ōrakei Basin.
“Parents enjoy their own private suite of rooms in a wing connected via the office across an internal bridge.”
Polkinghorne and his sister took ownership of the home when Hanna died in 2021.
He then listed it for sale twice, trying and failing to sell it first in 2021 and then in 2022.
Pauline Hanna died at the couple's Remuera home at Easter 2021.
Third attempt to sell
Police called to Hanna’s death found more than 37g of methamphetamine and a pipe at the property.
At the start of the murder trial in July last year, Polkinghorne pleaded guilty to methamphetamine-related charges and was sentenced to 150 hours of community service.
When NZ Sotheby’s International took over the listing in June 2022, its advertisement proclaimed “vendor demands action”.
Agent Paul Sissons told the Herald last year the starting price to buy the designer home on its 718 sq m section needed to begin with a “six”.
Sissons said the family home was unique. “The thing people like about it is the separation between the two sets of living areas with the kitchen in the middle.”
“I think there will always be some uncertainty in people’s minds, but we had good offers during the campaign.
“It’s a very specialised house in a wonderful location; the master suite is amazing.
“The house has been blessed and deep-cleaned three times for drugs — there was substantially less than what is an acceptable level of contamination,” Charteris said.
Carolyne Meng-Yee is an Auckland-based investigative journalist who won Best Documentary at the Voyager Media Awards in 2022. She worked for the Herald on Sunday from 2007-2011 and rejoined the Herald in 2016 after working as an award-winning current affairs producer at TVNZ’s 60 Minutes, 20/20 and Sunday.
