FORCIBLE EVICTION OF TENANT COSTS OWNER DAMAGES

Evening Star, Issue 26155, 17 July 1947, Page 10

FORCIBLE EVICTION OF TENANT COSTS OWNER DAMAGES

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 16. General damages of £IOO and £lO 3r 8d special damages were awarded to Mrs Adele Wyeth by Mr A. M. Goulding, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday in an undefended civil action against John Francis Skinnon for alleged wrongful ejectment from, a flat. Counsel for the plaintiff, Mr G. C. Kent, said Mrs Wyeth had occupied the bottom flat of premises at 14 Marama Crescent, Wellington, and had -lived there with her mother-in-, law and daughter. Tlfedefendant had' purchased the property, and on No? vember 29 last had gone to the flat! When Mrs Wyeth, sen., answered the door and informed him she was alone in the flat, he pulled her out of the house, locked the door, and barricaded it. He had also locked the front gate. Mrs Wyeth, jun., said the police had persuaded Skinnon to let her and her mother-in-law into the flat to collect their belongings. All the drawers had been emptied into the middle of the floor and beds had been let down. Albert William Cooper, a Labour Department inspector, said lie had interviewed Skinnon, who had admitted the eviction and had been very truculent about it. The Inspector said lie bad no power in such cases to do more than warn the owner of the consequences. The Magistrate said he had received a letter from Skinnon, in which he said he was a returned soldier and suffered from nerves. He could not attend the hearing as he was working. “ This cannot possibly be tolerated.” said the Magistrate, “ and it is a case for very substantial damages.”