Woman sued by parents ponders appeal

"My daughter Colleen told me after taking our money that 'I am not her mother'." Photo / 123RF

A woman taken to court by her parents over an unpaid debt of $368,000 is considering an appeal.

Elderly Tauranga couple Trevor and Marian Warin took their daughter Colleen Warin, a chartered accountant, to the High Court at Wellington.

In a Facebook post, Marian Warin said she had "slaved picking tomatoes and worked all my life" for her money.

"My daughter Colleen told me after taking our money that 'I am not her mother'."

Yesterday, Colleen Warin's lawyer James McLennan told the Herald there was still time to appeal and that she had never denied the money would have to be repaid.

"The only dispute is over when they were repayable. Colleen is disappointed with the judge's decision, and the time for Colleen to appeal the judgment has yet to expire," he said. "Colleen would like it known that the loans arise primarily out of the circumstances following the breakup of her marriage and that she is supporting a child."

The Warins told the court they loaned their daughter $367,903.90 plus interest but she had failed to meet demands for repayments made in May 2012 and August 2015. The judge found in their favour and added interest of 5 per cent to the debt from September 7, 2015, to the date of the judgment.

Colleen Warin had argued the loans were not repayable on demand and no valid demands had been made anyway.