The Maori Queen, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, is being taken to court by an Auckland architectural firm which claims she owes money for design work on a planned theatre in Ngaruawahia.
Houston and Associates wants a court order for $79,857 plus interest and costs for work it says was commissioned by Dame
Te Ata and co-defendants Helen D'lala and Rangi Whakaruru.
The firm has filed its statement of claim in the Auckland District Court.
A date has not been set for the hearing and the defendants have until the middle of next month to respond to the claim with a statement of defence.
Dame Te Ata's legal representative, Dermott O'Shea, said he had not received any information that indicated she was responsible for the claim. He said Dame Te Ata had said that as far as she was aware she did not owe any money.
"We have received nothing to date to indicate she does."
The Auckland firm's director, Wayne Houston, said the saga began in December 1995 when he was approached by Ms D'lala and Mr Whakaruru, who he understood to be representatives of Dame Te Ata, to design a theatre to showcase Maoridom.
Mr Houston said he was later told that Dame Te Ata was "delighted" with his proposal and to go ahead with the work.
He said the firm worked through the holidays to finish the design, but when requests for part payment were ignored it suspended work on the project in late February 1996.
- NZPA
