23 Jan 2019

Legal bid to get Waiwera Thermal Resort company liquidated

2:53 pm on 23 January 2019

The former managers of the Waiwera Thermal Resort are in more hot water, with court papers lodged to try and have their company liquidated.

The Waiwera Thermal Resort and Spa.

The Waiwera Thermal Resort and Spa. Photo: Google Maps

The water park has been closed for nearly a year and the lease was cancelled after the managers failed to pay the bills.

The former lease holder company, Waiwera Thermal Resort Limited, is being taken to court by the wholesale food distributor Bidfood Limited, which is seeking to liquidate.

Bidfood's application is to be heard in the High Court at Auckland next month.

Waiwera Thermal Resort earlier withdrew its court challenge to try and overturn the decision to cancel the lease.

It is understood arbitration is ongoing with the land owners.

Waiwera Thermal Resort Limited held the lease to use the resort since 2010.

It is owned by California-based diamond tycoon Leon Fingerhut, who earlier this month bought the shares of his business partner, the Russian billionaire Mikhail Khimich.

The property owners, Waiwera Properties Limited, previously said they had expressions of interest by potential new managers for the pools.

The once-famous tourist destination has been closed since February, apparently for renovations. But nothing's happened and it is now falling into disrepair.