HNZ tenants apply to appeal evictions

Three Lower Hutt state housing tenants appeared in the Court of Appeal today, to make a special application to appeal a decision by Housing New Zealand (HNZ) to evict them from their homes.

Eviction notices were served on the three women living in properties owned by Housing New Zealand in the Lower Hutt suburb of Pomare earlier this year because of their connection with gang members.

They were refused permission to take their case to the Court of Appeal in November, but were told they could make a special application to be heard in that court.

The trio - Robyn Winther, Huia Tamaka and Billy Taylor - have so far sought and failed to overturn the eviction through the Tenancy Tribunal, Lower Hutt District Court, and High Court.

A lawyer for the tenants, Elizabeth Hall, told Justices Mark O'Regan Terence Arnold and David Baragwanath it was an "issue of public importance" because it affected the way HNZ dealt with 90-day termination notices for all their tenants.

She said HNZ was a public entity that had social obligations over those of private landlords.

But Steve Haszard, who was representing HNZ, argued the law was silent on the differences between public and private responsibilities.

He pointed out the lower courts had already ruled against the tenants three times already based on the same arguments used today.

The justices reserved their decision.

- NZPA