Mortgagee-farm buyers may face cut fences

Press, 31 July 1986, Page 3

Mortgagee-farm buyers may face cut fences

PA Whangarei People buying Northland farms at forced mortgagee sale could find their fences cut and gates mysteriously opened, Northland Federated Farmers’ president, Mr Bill Shepherd, said yesterday. He said the time had come when any buyers of land in this situation would be made to feel more than unwelcome by local Federated Farmers members. Farmers’ tactics would include picketing of mortgagee sales with banners

clearly telling any prospective buyer what to expect when he or she moved into the community. “We will be making it abundantly clear that people buying land at forced sales will be unwelcome in the community. They may find gates left open, fences cut, or other unneighbourly or unpleasant things,” he said. A national federation campaign was launched thfeweek aimed at blockunwilling mortgagee sales. A checklist has

been posted to farmers for use when defaulting farmers oppose forced sale of their farms and call for federation support. Mr Shepherd said members would take their action as a last-ditch attempt to make sure any forced sales did not happen without every possible avenue of help being explored. Mr Shepherd said that while many Northland mortgagees acted wsppnsibly, this was notralways the case.