A picture of Auckland mayor Phil Goff adorns an abandoned car in central Auckland. Photo / Jake Morrison
A picture of Auckland mayor Phil Goff adorns an abandoned car in central Auckland. Photo / Jake Morrison
After complaining for about a year to the Auckland Council about an abandoned car on their street, residents had the last laugh when it was finally removed after photos of the mayor were stuck to it.
Residents on Arthur St, in Freemans Bay, laid at least three complaints to local authorities about a vehicle that was taking up space on their street for about a year.
But nothing was done about it until the day after someone attached pictures of a smiling Auckland mayor, Phil Goff, to the windscreen and driver's side window.
Jake Morrison said as many as three of his neighbours had complained about the abandoned vehicle.
'It is a really narrow street - parking is kind of at a premium.' Photo / Alex Burton
"It is a really narrow street - parking is kind of at a premium [and] it just looks shabby.
"Nothing happened for ages - nothing was happening at all. It's a friendly street and everyone pretty much knows each other, so you'd stand out there and [ask]: 'What's happening with the car'?"
Speaking to the Herald, he acknowledged that photos of Goff on the car appeared to boost authorities into finally taking action.
"I only took the photo yesterday and today it was taken away. I talked to the neighbours who were opposite and they were delighted as well.
"It's great. It doesn't practically bother me, but you'd pass it and go: 'When are they going to fix this s***'?"
An Auckland Transport spokesman said the legal process to determine who owned the vehicle was already under way at the time.
"The vehicle was issued with infringements for parking breaches, but it could not be classified as abandoned because there was a third party financial interest on it.
Illustration / Rod Emmerson
"That third party removed the vehicle from the road - not Auckland Transport," he said.
AT is currently looking into just over 500 cases of reported abandoned vehicles around the city.
He said there is a legal process to determine if a vehicle has been abandoned and how to dispose of it.
"From start to completion, cases can take around 90 days - if the vehicle does not have a current registration or warrant and we cannot contact the last registered owner.
"While vehicles are under investigation and if the vehicle is in fair condition and not posing a safety issues, AT will leave the vehicle at the kerb."
A spokesman for the mayor's office said this was an operational matter for Auckland Transport and was not something Goff was informed about.
