Top Kiwis losing in Fiji resort dispute

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High-profile New Zealanders with villas at the Hilton resort in Fiji are owed more than $1 million.

Former All Blacks, media and communications people, doctors, a real estate chief and businessmen with villas at the beachfront Denarau Island resort expected to get income from their apartments.

But a dispute between the resort's developer, Neville Mahon, and villa owners has resulted in their payments being frozen for months.

Television rugby commentator and former All Black Ian Jones, ex-All Black and celebrity agent Andy Haden - who manages Rachel Hunter - Fisher & Paykel chief executive John Bongard, Premium Real Estate managing director Brian Guy and Viaduct businessman Rob Campbell are among Aucklanders who own villas at the resort.

The 160-villa property, managed by Hilton, continues to operate but its partly completed expansion looks likely to stall because Mr Mahon's development company has gone into receivership.

Andy Haden says he is delighted with his villa, which he bought for just over $400,000 in 2006.

He gets 70 "free" nights a year and has made $70,000 from it - $30,000 in the first year of ownership and $40,000 in the next year.

But income from the last year remains locked away because of a battle between villa owners and Mr Mahon.

Ian Jones bought his villa around the time the resort opened and was this week about to take his family on a spring trip.

He, too, was delighted with the villa despite the income block, imminent receivership and expansion problems.

Mr Campbell is chairman of the Villa Owners' Representative Group, a rival to the resort's Villa Owners' Association.

"It would serve little purpose to add division between competing villa owners groups to the acrimony and litigation which has recently marred relationships," he said.

"Our focus is on gaining payment of money owed to villa owners under their existing agreements, working with the developer to achieve the earliest most complete and high-quality finish to the resort facilities which we can, and keeping the resort operating to its current high levels of occupancy and service."