HOUSE KEYS STOLEN

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30190, 23 July 1963, Page 14

HOUSE KEYS STOLEN

Purchasers Warned (N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 22. Prospective house purchasers in Wellington were warned by the C. 1.8. today to ensure that they are dealing with a bona fide agent. . The warning came after a week-end burglary of the premises of George Nathan and Company, LUL, land agents. Lambton quay. In addition to property worth £lOB 10s, the burglars stole keys to approximately 50 homes, a quantity of the firm’s business cards, and a rubber stamp bearing the firm's name. All the keys were labelled with the addresses of the homes. Wellington detectives fear that the thieves will exploit prospective house purchasers by falsely representing themselves as bona fide agents and collecting the option payment in the event of a possible sale. There is another possibility that the thieves, armed with the knowledge of the whereabouts of the houses and the keys of admittance, could freely enter the homes and pilfer at will if the occupants happen to be out. The land agent’s premises were broken into some time between Friday night and Sunday evening. A tape recorder, a transistor radio, and a quantity of liquor, to a total value of £lOB 10s, were stolen in addition to the other property. One of the firm’s heads, Mr M. J. Nathan, is getting used to burglaries. Last week his home at Waikanae was entered, and property worth £l5O stolen.