Simon John Inwood has some explaining to do about the $70,000 the police found in a safe at Christchurch house where he was dealing in cannabis.
He also has a fight on his hands to keep the house for his partner and the mother of his two children.
The Crown wants to take it away because of the commercial drug dealing that was going on there.
The explanations are scheduled for November 20, when Inwood's mother, 48-year-old Sharon Mary Lillian Inwood, is also due to oppose her property being taken away.
It is close to her son's house in Main North Road.
The mother, son and his partner have all pleaded guilty to cannabis charges and were to be sentenced by Justice John Fogarty in the High Court at Christchurch today.
But Justice Fogarty went ahead only with the sentencing of the partner, 28-year-old Raewyn Elizabeth Tomlins, on charges of allowing the home to be used for the cannabis operation, and selling some of it herself.
He sentenced her to four months of home detention, but ensured that she would still be able to leave the house if any medical emergencies arose relating to her children, aged three years and 18 months.
He said it would have been an onerous penalty to remove her from the children for a term of imprisonment.
Justice Fogarty sees Simon Inwood, a 29-year-old freezing worker, as the principal offender.
Defence counsel David Ruth said Inwood had undertaken rehabilitation since his arrest and had been drug-free for 164 days, according to the probation report.
Mr Ruth was stopped by Justice Fogarty when he said Inwood had been "selling occasionally", citing the amount of cash found at the house.
The judge delayed Inwood's sentencing so he could hear the argument over the forfeiture of the house, and the explanation for the $70,000.
He also delayed the sentencing for Sharon Inwood to the same day on charges of cannabis dealing and receiving stolen property.
Her counsel, Gerald Lascelles, has filed an affidavit opposing the Crown's bid to take her property.
Justice Fogarty wanted to ensure that a home detention sentence would have enough flexibility to allow her to respond to any family emergencies relating to her 11-year-old daughter.
The Inwoods were both remanded on bail.
