A man who made desperate efforts to try to stop the forced sale of the home he shared with his ailing mother has been found dead while protesting outside parliament.
Dan Hone was found with serious injuries on the grounds of New Zealand’s Parliament on Sunday morning.
Paramedics tried to save the father of a child, but he died at the scene on his 50th birthday.
His heartbroken sister Mika Quinn said her brother was becoming increasingly distressed over the impending sale of their elderly mother’s $1.6 million home in Moa Point, Wellington.
Her mother, who is in her 70s, was $40,000 in debt on her $400,000 mortgage and was forced to sell the home at an auction scheduled for Aug. 22.
She lived on the 1,234-square-foot hillside property for 40 years and her son had moved in to care for her in recent years.
Mr Hone had tried to avoid the foreclosure sale and paid $5,000 of the debt, but was unable to avoid it and “gave up hope”, his sister said.
His death has been referred to the coroner.
Dan Hone died in the grounds of New Zealand’s parliament on his 50th birthday after becoming distraught over the forced sale of his mother’s $1.69 million Moa Point home.
Mr Hone’s mother was $40,000 in debt on her $400,000 mortgage and was forced to put the house (pictured) up for auction on August 22.
A Justice Ministry spokeswoman said it was too early to say whether the death would be treated as a suspected suicide.
Ms Quinn said she received a text message from her brother the week before his death.
Mr Hone told his sister he was devastated that it had come to this.
“He wasn’t happy,” she said. he told the New Zealand Herald.
The brothers had been trying to cope with the impending sale, but were worried that they might not get a good price for the house because their mother refused to allow open inspections and did not want to move even after the sale.
Ms Quinn offered her brother a room at her home in Whanganui, 200 kilometres north of Moa Point, but was unsure whether he wanted to live with her 30-year-old son.
“He knew he had a home,” Quinn said.
Her mother’s mortgage payments had spiraled out of control when her interest rates doubled from $800 to $1,600 a fortnight in April.
She was also behind on her rates and had previously mortgaged the house to Add a second home to the property.
The house was originally scheduled to be auctioned off in July, but the family won a pardon, which delayed its sale for a month.
Father of a child found with serious injuries outside New Zealand Parliament
Thorhilda Brennan, the mother of Mr Hone’s son, told the publication her former partner was “a loving and caring family person”.
“This is an absolute tragedy and it really didn’t have to happen,” he said.
He added that Mr Hone, a former mechanic, was “just trying to do the best he could” to care for his “really sick” mother.
Mr Hone’s family are organising a private farewell for him and are expecting some members of his family to arrive from overseas.
He will be cremated and the ashes will be shared among his family, including his father, who lives in Australia.
Ms Quinn said her brother always looked after her and was an amazing person who loved her. Walking, motorsports and watching classic and Bollywood movies.
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