The estranged daughters of a Northland man have won a court case to get a share of his multimillion-dollar estate after he had cut them out of his will.

The case, heard in the High Court in Whangarei in front of Justice Simon Moore, painted a picture of a family severely estranged, with the father showing what the judge called a "chronic sense of bitterness and betrayal".

John Harrison, known as Tim, died in 2016 leaving an estate worth as much as $10 million to his partner of 38 years, and nothing to his two daughters.

The daughters, Catherine Cartwright and Sarah Harrison, took the matter to court, saying their father had breached his moral duty to make adequate provision of them in his will.

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The daughters told the court their father had largely neglected them emotionally, and in Catherine's case, "effectively abandoned her".

At stake was a large rural property to the east of Whangarei that was being run as a caravan park but which had been rezoned to allow for residential development.

On his death, Tim Harrison's estate was valued at just under $4m, but court documents show that if subdivided, the land could be worth almost $10m.

The judge said it was not in dispute that Harrison had breached his moral duty to his daughters by failing to make adequate provision for them in his will, and the question was what award was sufficient to remedy the breach of moral duty.

In his ruling, Justice Moore said Harrison and his then-wife had an "unhappy and discordant" marriage, and they separated when their daughters were both aged under 5.

The mother was later diagnosed with schizophrenia, and Justice Moore said Catherine "recalls a childhood of instability; numerous shifts, frugal and uncertain finances and a mother with fragile mental health".

"A related and ongoing source of stress and concern was Tim's delinquent approach to his maintenance obligations. He either paid less, was late or simply refused to make payments. From all accounts he deeply resented making any contribution towards his family."

Tim Harrison and his partner Nita Joseph moved to the Northland property at Pataua South in 1982, and developed it as the Treasure Island caravan park.

"Initially Sarah and Cathy enjoyed a good relationship with their father. When Tim and Nita moved to Pataua South, both girls would often travel by bus to stay with them."

However, the daughters described a breakdown in that relationship, and by the time Sarah was 10, she was "treated as an outsider by Tim".

Catherine's relationship with her father also soured. "He became very critical of her. Sometimes he would not speak to her for days at a time. She also began to encounter financial difficulties and dreaded having to ask her father for anything."

Catherine had been living with her father, but in 1988 decided to return to her mother's house.

"Unbeknownst to her at the time, this would be the last proper contact she would have with her father," the judgment said.

"She made various attempts to maintain a connection with him. But when she was 15, Tim wrote her the following letter:

"Catherine - Please do not send anything else to me. It was made quite clear to you at the time you left that your actions would severely affect us…. As far as I am concerned, you made your bed, now you lie in it. I have no time at all for disloyal people, they do not get second chances, ever."

After that the daughters lived with their mother, leaving when they were old enough to go to university.

Both received student allowances "because Tim refused to make any contribution to their tertiary education", the judgment said.

In his will dated June 2004, Tim left his whole estate to Joseph.

The judge said Harrison revealed his "chronic sense of bitterness and betrayal" in the will when he wrote: "I wish it recognised that my parents and my siblings turned their backs on me at a time when I approached them for help, some 15 years ago. They were in a position to help but refused. Since that time we have been estranged. Therefore it is my express wish not one of them is entitled to any share whatsoever in this estate."

In regards to his daughter Catherine, his will said: "For many years I devoted my life to her. ... Then she decided to go back to her mother, very much against my wishes.

"She has made no effort at reconciliation and no contribution to the estate. It is my wish that she is not entitled to any share whatsoever in this estate."

If Joseph had predeceased her, his daughter Sarah would have received a portion of the estate.

The daughters' lawyer told the court "both girls lost their childhood when it was within Tim's ability to provide them with a happy one".

In his judgment, Justice Moore said the lawyer submitted "Tim subjected the girls to a life where Cathy, in particular, was forced to mature early and deal with adult issues such as family estrangement and financial stress well before she had sufficient life experience to do so.

"Both girls were engaged in an emotionally complex, turbulent and abusive relationship with their father, and had a mother who was obliged to work to keep the family afloat and together; all the while as their lives were unsettled by the instability of regular moves."

Justice Moore said there was little question Harrison had breached his moral duty to both daughters by making no provision for them in his estate.

"Cathy and Tim were entirely estranged for a period of some 30 years prior to Tim's death. Sarah's relationship with him was unstable and strained.

"To Nita's considerable credit she accepts this and agrees it was caused by failures on Tim's part. There is simply no basis to apportion any blame to either daughter. Neither Cathy nor Sarah was in the slightest bit responsible for the failure of their relationship with their father.

"It is also apparent, despite Tim's poor treatment of his daughters, that both loved their father and hoped to maintain contact with him. In Cathy's case she persevered until Tim made it plain he was not prepared to have any further contact with her. In Sarah's, she maintained a relationship in spite of difficulties.

"I accept Tim all but completely failed to provide his daughters with economic support during their childhood. Any financial comfort Cathy and Sarah now enjoy is largely due to their own efforts. No credit of any kind may be given to Tim for the fact that both his daughters have succeeded despite such trying and avoidable circumstances."

The judge said assessing how Harrison's breach of moral duty was to be treated was not straightforward. "This is because the estate is comprised of a number of parcels of land; some a good deal more valuable than others and some more capable of subdivision and realisation than others."

The daughters' lawyer submitted the estate was sufficiently large to provide appropriately for all involved, and proposed awarding each daughter 15 per cent of the estate.

Justice Moore ruled 10 per cent each was more appropriate.

The parties were instructed to make further submissions on what form the award should take, if necessary commissioning further valuation or subdivision reports.