[ad_1]
Supplied
Creditors are furious that ‘Rustling’ Charlie Thompson will walk away from his debts after his company was put into liquidation.
‘Rustling’ Charlie Thompson’s cabin company is in liquidation, leaving a trail of furious creditors who fear they will never see a cent of the money they have lost.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) confirmed High Country Cabins was placed into liquidation on May 5. A liquidator has been appointed, but it could be weeks before the amount of money owed by the company is known with the first report due on June 12.
South Otago Windows and Doors managing director Laurence McLeod decided to engage debt collection agency Crown Collections last month in an attempt to put Thompson’s cabin company into liquidation as “a matter of principle”.
McLeod is among a slew of business owners and disgruntled customers who claim Thompson owes them money.
READ MORE:
* Rustling Charlie’s cabin company under investigation and heading for liquidation
* Rustling Charlie’s new timber business leaves fresh trail of creditors
Thompson first came to Stuff’s attention last year after being associated with a large trail of unpaid contractors, missing livestock, and a failed rural cabins business that saw him featured on Fair Go.
In March Stuff also revealed Rustling Charlie (a nickname farmers coined because of unexplained stock disappearances on neighbouring properties to Thompson) was at it again, leaving more customers out of pocket after he renamed the trading name of High Country Cabins to Tru Timber NZ.
Under the moniker John, Thompson lured new customers, including Jason Flynn from Nelson who was $40,000 out of pocket after Thompson failed to build two huts. Flynn was in the first stages of legal action when he received communication from Thompson in mid-March claiming he’d had a nervous breakdown and was having a few “quiet weeks”.
Thompson initially sold under the company name High Country Cabins.
Flynn is furious the court has liquidated High Country Cabins, saying the entire “saga demonstrates the total disregard for due diligence”.
He also criticised New Zealand’s “weak and incompetent” justice system.
“The Rustling Charlie story has been an all too common scenario in New Zealand in the past few years.”
Supplied
Thompson has used myriad excuses for not paying his debts including heart issues, a stroke that made him forgetful, bipolar disorder and nervous breakdowns. He also blamed supply issues caused by Covid-19.
The liquidation comes at the same time as MBIE’s integrity and enforcement team is reviewing two instances involving incorrect information being provided to the Companies Registrar by Thompson for High Country Cabins and for his farming company Miners Creek Limited.
On April 2, Thompson changed High Country Cabins’ company address from his Miners Creek Central Otago farm to a Nelson address belonging to Legal Focus.
Legal Focus director Grant Pearson confirmed the firm had “taken issue” with Thompson using its address for his company. Pearson said he reported the issue “accordingly”.
Supplied
When High Country Cabins suffered negative publicity, Thompson changed his first name to John and the trading name of the company to Tru Timber NZ.
A source said Thompson had claimed he was moving into the same building complex and had asked Legal Focus if he could redirect his mail to them in the meantime.
Pearson refused to comment further, except to say that the firm had never acted for Thompson or his company.
Thompson also changed the address to a property he owned in Central Otago, but had since changed it again to his mother’s address in Lawrence.
Thompson has not responded to many efforts to contact him.
[ad_2]