KEY POINTS:
Despite receiving no complaints about the Salt family in the last eight months, Housing New Zealand is pushing ahead with efforts to have them evicted after a Tenancy Tribunal found in the family's favour last July.
Neighbours told a Tenancy Tribunal hearing in July that the family had stopped cars, assaulted residents and visitors and made life unbearable in Range View Rd, Mt Albert.
But in July last year the Tenancy Tribunal ruled that Ms Salt and her family could stay in the house, saying there was not enough evidence to justify the eviction.
National Party housing spokesman Phil Heatley said on Radio New Zealand the fact the family was still in the house showed HNZ was not taking the matter seriously.
But a HNZ spokesman today told NZPA the corporation was appealing the case to the district court and had been unable to progress the matter as it was yet to receive a hearing date.
HNZ chief executive Lesley McTurk last year said it was concerned the tribunal decision was saying the type of behaviour associated with 39 Range View Road did not interfere with the reasonable rights of neighbours.
"Housing New Zealand aims to clarify whether or not the balance between tenant and neighbour rights has shifted in a way which means Housing New Zealand will need, in future, stronger evidence of antisocial behaviour to secure the termination of tenancies."
The appeal could have substantial precedent value and it was important that HNZ "provided leadership in getting clarity in this important area," she said.
- NZPA
