Family who rented former meth lab to get compensation

By STUART DYE

Leah Wilson thought she had found the perfect house for an entirely natural home-birth.

But days after having baby Tashi, Ms Wilson and partner Christopher James discovered the house had been a drug-manufacturing den until just weeks before they moved in.

Then it emerged the landlord had not decontaminated the property before the couple, who have two other young daughters, moved in.

Ms Wilson says the landlords denied the house had been used for drug manufacturing when she questioned them after hearing stories from neighbours.

"I was six months pregnant and thought I had found the perfect bush home to have my baby girl - but instead she was born in an ex-P lab with traces of all sorts of chemicals."

The family learned today they had won a two-year battle for compensation from Quinovic Property Management.

The Tenancy Tribunal ruled that the company breached its responsibility when it failed to properly clean the west Auckland house.

"When a property has allegedly been used for the manufacture of methamphetamine there is an obligation on the landlord to ensure it has been properly cleansed and is free from harmful contaminants," ruled the tribunal, held in Waitakere.

The couple found the "perfect" three-bedroom home in Oratia in late 2002. They specifically asked the landlords not to use chemicals when cleaning the place as they were planning a home birth.

They moved in at the beginning of December but then heard from neighbours that the previous tenants were caught manufacturing pure methamphetamine.

Ms Wilson contacted a detective who verified the P story.

"The lab had actually been operating in the bedroom where me, my partner and my new baby had been sleeping," said Ms Wilson.

"I was devastated to think of the chemicals we had been exposed to."

All the family had suffered from eye irritation and sore throats for several months after they moved in.

As soon as it was confirmed they were in an ex-P lab, they moved out and had to "live as refugees" until they found a new place.

The tenancy tribunal awarded $990 to Ms Wilson and her partner, who are now living in Titirangi.

Ms Wilson said she was relieved the landlord had been found at fault, but said the "very small" $990 compensation would act as little deterrent to other property managers.

"And to cap it all, not once have they apologised for doing what was clearly wrong."

Rex de Bettencor, principal at Quinovic, said the company did not know the house was a P lab.

That information, and formal notice to decontaminate the property, should have been provided by the police but was not.

"We believe that we acted in good faith with the best information that was available to us at the time," said Mr de Bettencor.

"The tribunal award shows that they [Ms Wilson and Mr James] were also innocent victims in this case."

A spokesperson for Quinovic Residential Property Management said the company was considering appealing the tribunal ruling.

The company said it would have expected the police to advise against reletting the house, but this did not happen. "If we had known we would not have relet the property."