A MAN who accepted money from Rotorua people for work he did not complete is in Gisborne recovering from a heart attack.
Merv Lanigan, who took deposits for a gutter protection system but did not finish the work, was thought to be in Auckland.
At least 20 people have
come forward saying they paid deposits for work that was never done.
The franchise for which he was working at the time, Auckland-based Four Seasons Gutter Protection (NZ) Ltd, had promised to honour contracts Mr Lanigan made with customers from whom he took deposits. However, the franchise has since gone into voluntary liquidation.
The Daily Post has tracked Mr Lanigan down to his daughter's home in Gisborne.
He told the Daily Post he suffered a heart attack two weeks ago.
He said he did not remember the people who said he'd taken money from them and said he would only respond to questions in writing.
Auckland franchise holders Robert and Roger Gibbons could not be reached for comment but the Australian-based parent company is now promising to honour the contracts people made with Mr Lanigan.
He featured in the Daily Post in September after a Rotorua woman complained he had taken a $354 deposit and failed to install their promised gutter protection.
He has also appeared on television consumer affairs programme Fair Go twice in 2005 after similar complaints. Another Rotorua resident, Carolyn Windner, paid him a $125 deposit last October.
Four Seasons Gutter Protection owner, Melbourne-based Derek Murphy, said there were two remaining franchises in New Zealand which were not involved with Mr Lanigan or the franchise in liquidation.
The company's 0800 number in New Zealand had been redirected to Australia and the company intended to honour all of the contracts made, he said.
"The issue here is to do the right thing for all the people involved."
