A company director has left New Zealand, leaving a trail of failed companies and millions of dollars in debts.

Neil Gurdjieff Dougan was a director of companies developing luxury lodges in Hanmer Springs and Kaikoura and a 30-apartment building in Christchurch.

The liquidators of 2 Design Ltd, of which Dougan is the sole director, said in its first report it had been advised Dougan was living in London and was unlikely to return to New Zealand.

Wayne Deuchrass and Iain Nellies, of Insolvency Management Ltd, said they had been unable to contact Dougan and could not get any records of 2 Design Ltd, which owes $63,714 to Inland Revenue.

They said the company was set up to provide architectural services for project development work and was involved with the construction of Te Kaikoura Lodge, in Kaikoura. Dougan and Ross Thomson, of Christchurch, were directors of the company.

Te Kaikoura Lodge went into receivership in October and liquidation in November, along with Alpine Pacific Developments. Reports on any debts are not available for the lodge, which opened in October 2006.

Dougan and Thomson were also directors of Braemar Lodge 2004, which went into receivership in July last year without opening its doors.

The receivers of the Hanmer Springs lodge, Michael Stiassny and Brendon Gibson, of Ferrier Hodgson, estimated the company owed the ANZ National Bank $10.4 million.

Dougan is sole director and shareholder of Warwick Mews Developments, also in receivership and liquidation.

It was developing 30 apartments and owed $8.7m to Dominion Finance Group when it went into receivership in July.

Source: The Press. Published 1 January 2009

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