A man who tragically passed away on Parliament grounds was deeply distressed over the looming sale of the waterfront home he shared with his elderly mother, who had fallen behind on her mortgage by $40,000, according to his sister.

Dan Hone’s death, which occurred on Sunday, has been referred to the Coroner. A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman noted that it is too early to determine if his death will be treated as a suspected suicide.

Emergency services were called to Parliament grounds just before 8 am, where paramedics attended to Hone, a father of one. Despite their efforts, he later succumbed to his injuries.

Hone’s sister, Mika Quinn, disclosed that her brother had been struggling with the impending forced sale of their mother’s property in the Wellington suburb of Moa Point. The siblings had been working together to avoid the sale after discovering that their mother was three years behind on her mortgage payments, totaling $40,000 in arrears on a $400,000 loan.

Although Hone had contributed $5,000 to help reduce the debt, the auction of the property, scheduled for August 22, appeared inevitable, leading him to lose hope. “He was unhappy,” Quinn shared, noting that her brother, who passed away on his 50th birthday, had been considering moving in with her in Whanganui or staying with his son.

Quinn emphasized that despite the dire situation, Hone knew he had family support and a place to stay. “He had us anyway, and he knew that he had a home,” she said.

Their mother, who has owned the 1234-square-meter hillside property for four decades, had taken out a mortgage to build a second dwelling on the land. The property was valued at $1.69 million in 2021, but rising interest rates had doubled the mortgage repayments from $800 to $1,600 per fortnight. Additionally, their mother was behind on her rates payments, Quinn revealed.

Initially scheduled for a mortgagee auction last month, the family managed to secure a brief reprieve, but the property is still set to be sold at auction on August 22. Hone and his sister feared that the house might sell for less than its true value, especially as their mother, who is around 70 years old and facing multiple health challenges, refused to allow open homes, potentially deterring buyers.

“We agreed that we would sell it, but we want to get a fair price. We want what it’s worth,” Quinn stated.

Hone, a former mechanic, had moved in with his mother a few years ago to care for her due to her declining health. Quinn described her brother as a caring individual who enjoyed walking, motorsports, and watching Bollywood and classic films. “He always looked after me,” she added.

The family is now preparing for a private farewell for Hone once their overseas relatives arrive. His ashes will be shared among the family, including Hone’s father, who resides in Australia.

Thorhilda Brennan, the mother of Hone’s 30-year-old son, expressed her sorrow over the tragedy, describing Hone as a “loving, caring family person.” She noted that his decision to move back home to care for his mother was a testament to his character. “This is an absolute tragedy, and it really didn’t need to happen,” Brennan said. “He was just really trying to do the best he could.”