When the maths beats the case
When Christchurch modular builder Shape Construction went into voluntary liquidation, the final tally was grim. The April 2026 liquidator’s report recorded $3.5 million owed to creditors, with only about $50,000 recouped through asset sales, at least six partially built homes scattered across the country, and a $267,000 unpaid tax debt. The director and sole shareholder, Toby Van T Veen, denies acting dishonestly or misleading customers.
The more revealing detail is what happened next. Liquidator Brenton Hunt of Insolvency Matters identified a number of potential breaches of the Companies Act and wrote to Van T Veen, who strongly refuted the claims. Hunt then asked a lawyer what…