Editorial: Father goes too far in bid for money

You often hear about families fighting over money. It happens more and more these days, with split families and children living in a home where there are his, hers and our kids.

However, an appeal case heard in the High Court in Napier this month takes the cake.

Wayne Basher was appealing the court ruling that he pay back his daughters Ellisha and Amanda $20,000 worth of pocket money paid to them by their grandparents.

Now aged 18 and 15, the girls earned their money fair and square as youngsters working for their maternal grandparents at a joinery business.

When their mother died in 2008, relationships between the girls and their father broke down. The girls went to live with their grandparents.

Mr Basher says he spent the money on a family trip to Australia and lavish gifts for the girls.

Really ... how can they be gifts if he was paying for it out of their own money? In fact, they paid for his trip.

Luckily for the girls, their grandparents have kept records. Mr Basher has been ordered to pay up - and so he should.

I don't know what's behind the relationship breakdown between daughters and father. I think it's very sad whatever it is. However, I also think these girls have been through enough. I would like to think that any dad would bend over backwards to ensure his children had as many advantages in life as possible. While I know money is not everything, it sure helps.

Maybe they were planning on using it for their education or to buy a car ... it doesn't really matter.

The money belongs to them and I'm truly amazed he let it go this far.