The solution I needed as a child
On a quiet lifestyle block at Snells Beach, the auction of a mortgagee property became a small parable about the distance between aspiration and accountability. A single bidder claimed the one-hectare site for $700,000 — nearly $300,000 below its valuation — a discount that quietly priced in the weight of unconsented buildings, collapsed companies, and the gap between a vision of alternative education and the regulatory world it never quite entered. The property was the latest in a series of forced sales tied to Ashley Binnie, a property influencer whose coaching empire has unravelled owing more than two million dollars, leaving clients, creditors, and a private tutoring venture behind.
- A mortgagee auction that drew significant pre-sale interest produced only one bidder on the day, selling $290,000 below valuation — a stark signal of how much the unconsented building and collapsed ownership structure had eroded buyer confidence.
- The dwelling at the centre of the sale had housed Enrichment Studio, a venture that marketed itself as an alternative school but was never registered with the Ministry of Education and operated, in the Ministry's view, as unregistered part-time tutoring.
- Behind the property sits a cascade of corporate failure: Binnie's investment and coaching firm went into liquidation in April, Atlas Holdings followed, and Enrichment Studio itself collapsed in May carrying over $200,000 in debt — part of a broader $2 million-plus liability across his companies.
- The new West Auckland buyer faces a compliance path that is neither simple nor guaranteed — the unconsented structure predates new exemption rules and will require a Certificate of Acceptance from Auckland Council before it can be legitimised.
- Jenna Binnie has already incorporated a new company, Enrichment Tutoring, signalling the education project continues in some form even as her husband faces potential director bans and the forced closure of recently established companies.
- Former clients of Binnie's property coaching business have begun coming forward, alleging financial losses, substandard renovation work, and unfulfilled promises — widening the human cost beyond the auction room.
A one-hectare lifestyle block on Mahurangi East Road in Snells Beach sold at mortgagee auction for $700,000 — nearly $290,000 below its registered valuation of $990,000. Only one bidder participated. The property had been home to Enrichment Studio, a private education venture offering small classes, nature-based learning, and individualised instruction for children aged five to twelve. It was also an unconsented building, and Auckland Council confirmed no building consents had ever been issued for the structure.
The collapse traces back to Ashley Dean Binnie, a property influencer and investor whose companies have fallen into liquidation owing more than $2 million. His wife Jenna had been running Enrichment Studio from the site. The education business was placed in liquidation in May with debts exceeding $200,000, following the earlier collapse of Binnie's property coaching firm, Ascend Advisory Limited, and the parent company Atlas Holdings.
Despite strong marketing interest, the auction room was sparse. Bidding opened at $600,000, edged upward through a vendor bid and a single counter-offer, and closed at $700,000. The buyer, from West Auckland, plans to build a new home on the land and seek compliance for the existing dwelling — a path that requires a Certificate of Acceptance, since the structure predates new exemption rules that took effect in January 2026.
Enrichment Studio's story sits at the intersection of personal vision and regulatory reality. Jenna had spoken publicly about creating the learning environment she had needed as a child, referencing her own undiagnosed dyslexia. The venture promised student-teacher ratios of one to ten and outdoor-focused learning. Yet the Ministry of Education confirmed it was never registered as a school, received no government funding, and had no formally enrolled students. A resource consent application to operate as a private school was withdrawn in January.
Jenna has since established a new company, Enrichment Tutoring, suggesting the educational work continues in some form. Ashley Binnie, meanwhile, faces potential director bans and scrutiny of recently formed companies. Former clients have come forward alleging financial losses and unfulfilled promises. Three other properties linked to him have already sold at mortgagee auction — each one a further chapter in the same unravelling story.
A single bidder showed up to the mortgagee auction of a one-hectare lifestyle block on Mahurangi East Road in Snells Beach, and the property sold for $700,000—nearly $290,000 below its registered valuation of $990,000. The unconsented dwelling on the site had been home to Enrichment Studio, a private education venture that marketed itself as an alternative to mainstream schooling, complete with small class sizes, nature-based learning, and individualized instruction for children aged five to twelve.
The property's troubles trace back to Ashley Dean Binnie, a property influencer and investor whose companies have collapsed into liquidation owing more than $2 million. His wife, Jenna, had been running Enrichment Studio from the unconsented building. The education business itself was placed in liquidation in May, carrying debts exceeding $200,000. The parent company, Atlas Holdings—which also owned the dwelling while Enrichment Studio Limited held the land—followed into liquidation after Binnie's property coaching and investment firm, Ascend Advisory Limited, went under in April.
During the marketing campaign, the property had generated considerable interest, but the auction room told a different story. The bidding opened at $600,000, moved to a vendor bid of $650,000, climbed to $660,000, then paused for negotiation. When it resumed, a single bid of $700,000 closed the sale. Mark Fitzgerald, the Harcourts listing agent acting for lender Basecorp Finance, noted that the buyer was from West Auckland and intended to construct a new home on the site while seeking compliance for the existing structure. He observed that the property had attracted a different crowd than the typical property flippers who frequent mortgagee auctions, drawn instead by the lifestyle block's amenities—an outdoor kitchen and bathroom among them.
Auckland Council confirmed that no building consents had been issued for the structure. The new owner's path forward requires applying for a Certificate of Acceptance. The dwelling does not qualify under new exemption rules introduced on January 15, 2026, because it was built before those rules took effect. Fitzgerald had predicted the property would sell for land value alone, given the unconsented building's liability.
Enrichment Studio's story reveals the gap between aspiration and regulatory reality. Jenna, the sole director, had told Junction Magazine in March that she was creating "the solution I needed as a child," referencing her own undiagnosed dyslexia and school struggles. The venture promised student-teacher ratios of one to ten, independent learning programs, and outdoor focus. An advertisement in May 2025 announced the opening of a "new school with a new approach" featuring small classes, individual learning programs, nature-based play, and Arrowsmith sessions. Yet the Ministry of Education confirmed the business was never registered as a school, received no government funding, and had no students formally enrolled for instruction. Jenna countered that part-time tutoring operations do not require Ministry registration.
Auckland Council had received a resource consent application in September for the property to operate as a private primary and intermediate school with a maximum roll of twenty students. The application was withdrawn in January. The liquidator's report classified Enrichment Studio as a "private school," but the Ministry's characterization was narrower: an unregistered tutoring operation.
Jenna's statement to OneRoof following the sale struck a measured tone: she expressed hope that the new owner would enjoy the property and the community. Meanwhile, she has already established a new company, Enrichment Tutoring, suggesting the education venture continues in some form. The collapse of Binnie's enterprises has prompted former clients to come forward with complaints—some alleging they were left thousands of dollars out of pocket, others claiming substandard renovation work or unfulfilled promises on AI-focused property coaching courses. Binnie now faces potential director bans and possible forced closure of Signal Theory Limited, a company he recently established. Three other properties linked to him—two deteriorated ex-state houses in Palmerston North and a renovated house in Mangakino—have already sold at mortgagee auction.
Notable Quotes
We hope that whoever has purchased the land will have a wonderful adventure on the property and enjoy living in such a warm and happy community.— Jenna Binnie, responding to the mortgagee sale result
In some ways, I'm creating the solution I needed as a child. I want my children, and the children who enter our space, to be spared some of the difficulties I faced.— Jenna Binnie, to Junction Magazine, on her motivation for Enrichment Studio
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did only one person bid on a property that seemed to generate so much interest during marketing?
The unconsented building was the problem. Once people understood they'd inherit a compliance nightmare, most walked away. The valuation assumed the building had value, but at auction, buyers price in the cost and hassle of fixing it.
Was Enrichment Studio actually operating as a school, or was it something else?
That's the tension. Jenna marketed it as a school—small classes, curriculum, the whole vision. But the Ministry says it was never registered, had no formal students, no funding. She argues part-time tutoring doesn't need registration. The gap between what she was selling and what she was legally operating is the real story.
How much of this collapse was about the education business itself failing, versus Binnie's broader financial implosion?
The education business owed $200,000 when it went under in May. But that's almost secondary to the fact that Binnie's entire property empire—his coaching firm, his investment vehicles—all collapsed at once, owing over $2 million. Enrichment Studio was caught in the undertow.
What does Jenna do now?
She's already set up Enrichment Tutoring. So the education idea persists, just in a different legal structure. Whether that's resilience or whether she's repeating a pattern—that's an open question.
Could Binnie face real consequences?
Yes. Director bans are possible, and he may be forced to shut down Signal Theory Limited, a company he just started. The liquidations create a record that regulators can act on.