Policeman denies rent-freeze eviction

Press, 16 June 1983, Page 6

Policeman denies rent-freeze eviction

PA Auckland An Auckland police sergeant has denied that he and eight off-duty policemen evicted tenants from a house he owned because the family had refused, under the rent freeze, to pay a higher rent. The allegation was made by the Labour Party spokesman on housing, Mr P. B. Goff, in a letter to the Minister of Housing, Mr Friedlander. Mr Goff said the house was forcibly entered and the tenants assaulted. The family of five had earlier discovered that they were paying $4O more a week in rent than the previous tenants who vacated the premises earlier in the year. When the family approached the police sergeant about this, he was said to have replied, “Either you give me the money or I will give you notice to quit the place. If you are not willing to pay $l2O a week, I wjll get tenants who are.” But Mr Goff said, “Given the circumstances there is a clear prima facie case of a breach of the rent freeze regulations followed by victimisation of the tenants for daring to protest.” Mr Goff said that as a consequence of standing up for their rights under the rent freeze, the family — two adults and three children — was now homeless and staying with relatives, all living in one room.

He said the freeze regulations should be amended “to give them some teeth.” The sergeant, who did not want to be named, said that the eviction on June 7 had no connection with the rent freeze. The tenants’ rent cheques had “bounced.” “The place was a mess, there were so many things they did not comply with. I made doubly sure that everything (to do with the eviction) was done right. I knew complaints would possibly come because of the fact I am a policeman.” The sergeant said the house was not forcibly entered. He said he and his friends, in fact, were pushed and tripped and he said the

tenants also threatened his friends.

The sergeant bought the house earlier this year and renovated it before renting it to the tenants who were evicted. He said he set the rent at $l2O after consulting several real estate agents. Under the previous owner, tenants had been paying $BO a week.

“Unbeknown to me I was not permitted to do that,” he said. “When I found out recently, I reduced the rent to $80.”

The manager of the Housing Corporation in Auckland, Mr John Miller, said last evening that a complaint had been lodged and was being investigated.