From "stuff" this a.m.
A Christchurch woman is furious with Tenancy Services after a tenant who caused thousands of dollars of damage to her house was refunded a bond on the strength of an undated "poorly forged" signature on a bond release form.
Tessa Holland's Linwood flat was left with broken windows, doors and walls with holes in them, and spoiled and burnt carpets after a tenant left owing three weeks rent.
Upon making a bond claim, Holland was told the money had been released to the tenant months earlier, only six weeks or so after the tenancy began.
The bond release form showed a crudely copied signature that lacked Holland's characteristic curly strokes, a bank account number, an amount to be paid, and no other information.
The signature was undated and the only other mark on the paper was on the "no" box to the question "Can we contact you by email?"
"The forms weren't filled in," said Holland.
"There wasn't even a date for when the tenancy ended."
When Holland contacted the Bond Office she was told she could not blame it for paying out as the signatures looked "close enough".
She was also told the lack of a tenancy end date was not an impediment to paying.
"They implied they pay out all the time without an end date. What type of landlord pays out a bond midway through a tenancy?"
The repairs to the house cost Holland and her partner $1800 in materials and several hours of their own labour.
"The bond was only $375 but that's all we wanted, what was legally ours."
Tenancy Services told Holland she would have to apply for a disputed bond hearing.
"We shouldn't have to go through this. It's the bond office that's been negligent."
Department of Building and Housing spokesman Mark Stewart said Holland "would get her money back after the dispute tribunal".
"In any case where a bond is proved to have been claimed fraudulently by either a landlord or a tenant, the Department of Building and Housing will reimburse the disadvantaged party."
He said the department processed more than 200,000 bonds every year and fraudulent claims were "very rare".
"More than 20 per cent of bond claims are checked a second time as a quality assurance mechanism.
"Incompletely filled out forms are very common and bond claims are not delayed if non-essential information is not submitted."
Aaaaah, bureaucracy @ its best.
A Christchurch woman is furious with Tenancy Services after a tenant who caused thousands of dollars of damage to her house was refunded a bond on the strength of an undated "poorly forged" signature on a bond release form.
Tessa Holland's Linwood flat was left with broken windows, doors and walls with holes in them, and spoiled and burnt carpets after a tenant left owing three weeks rent.
Upon making a bond claim, Holland was told the money had been released to the tenant months earlier, only six weeks or so after the tenancy began.
The bond release form showed a crudely copied signature that lacked Holland's characteristic curly strokes, a bank account number, an amount to be paid, and no other information.
The signature was undated and the only other mark on the paper was on the "no" box to the question "Can we contact you by email?"
"The forms weren't filled in," said Holland.
"There wasn't even a date for when the tenancy ended."
When Holland contacted the Bond Office she was told she could not blame it for paying out as the signatures looked "close enough".
She was also told the lack of a tenancy end date was not an impediment to paying.
"They implied they pay out all the time without an end date. What type of landlord pays out a bond midway through a tenancy?"
The repairs to the house cost Holland and her partner $1800 in materials and several hours of their own labour.
"The bond was only $375 but that's all we wanted, what was legally ours."
Tenancy Services told Holland she would have to apply for a disputed bond hearing.
"We shouldn't have to go through this. It's the bond office that's been negligent."
Department of Building and Housing spokesman Mark Stewart said Holland "would get her money back after the dispute tribunal".
"In any case where a bond is proved to have been claimed fraudulently by either a landlord or a tenant, the Department of Building and Housing will reimburse the disadvantaged party."
He said the department processed more than 200,000 bonds every year and fraudulent claims were "very rare".
"More than 20 per cent of bond claims are checked a second time as a quality assurance mechanism.
"Incompletely filled out forms are very common and bond claims are not delayed if non-essential information is not submitted."
Aaaaah, bureaucracy @ its best.
Comment