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News item in the South Waikato News this week.
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News item in the South Waikato News this week.
Rent-to-own home trashed.
by Nick Silvester
Around $20,000 of damage was done to a Tokoroa rental property recently and police are set to bring charges against those involved.
The property is one of about 100 in the area owned by Mike Hyams, of Enigma Residential Ltd, who had a rent-to-own agreement with the tenants.
However after the tenants got into arrears with the rent they were asked to vacate the premises. the damage was done soon after.
Mr Hyams described the house as "systematically and willfully destroyed."
The house looked like a tornado had ripped through it. Nearly every window was broken, there were multiple holes in the walls, including some large enough for a person to fit through. Furniture was smashed and scattered throughout the house, along with clothes and rubbish. The kitchen was filthy and there were faeces in the laundry.
Mr Hyams informed the police and, although unable to take action for the damage done by the tenant while in the house, police believe a significant amount of damage was done by others after the tenant moved out. Tokoroa Police said a neighbour alerted them to activity at the house and they interviewed three people; two face charges of wilful damage.
Mr Hyams said he was contacted anonymously and warned there was going to be a house trashing party at the premises on Guy Fawkes night. His son spoke with tenants so this did not occur but a real estate agent went to the property a few days later and found the extensive damage.
Mr Hyams said insurance covered only the damage done by outsiders not the tenant, so he was unsure how much of the estimated $20,000 damge they could claim. He had never before seen damage to this extent.
"Sometimes you have a bit of damage; a bit of a mess or the odd broken window. Rent arrears is not uncommon but, for people to systematically go out and trash a place, that's never happened," he said.
by Nick Silvester
Around $20,000 of damage was done to a Tokoroa rental property recently and police are set to bring charges against those involved.
The property is one of about 100 in the area owned by Mike Hyams, of Enigma Residential Ltd, who had a rent-to-own agreement with the tenants.
However after the tenants got into arrears with the rent they were asked to vacate the premises. the damage was done soon after.
Mr Hyams described the house as "systematically and willfully destroyed."
The house looked like a tornado had ripped through it. Nearly every window was broken, there were multiple holes in the walls, including some large enough for a person to fit through. Furniture was smashed and scattered throughout the house, along with clothes and rubbish. The kitchen was filthy and there were faeces in the laundry.
Mr Hyams informed the police and, although unable to take action for the damage done by the tenant while in the house, police believe a significant amount of damage was done by others after the tenant moved out. Tokoroa Police said a neighbour alerted them to activity at the house and they interviewed three people; two face charges of wilful damage.
Mr Hyams said he was contacted anonymously and warned there was going to be a house trashing party at the premises on Guy Fawkes night. His son spoke with tenants so this did not occur but a real estate agent went to the property a few days later and found the extensive damage.
Mr Hyams said insurance covered only the damage done by outsiders not the tenant, so he was unsure how much of the estimated $20,000 damge they could claim. He had never before seen damage to this extent.
"Sometimes you have a bit of damage; a bit of a mess or the odd broken window. Rent arrears is not uncommon but, for people to systematically go out and trash a place, that's never happened," he said.
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