KEY POINTS:
Here is an earlier selection of Your Views:
Sandra
This is just another example of the government protecting the criminal and the poor victim is left to just shut up and live with it.
Sid (Auckland)
Talk about PC gone mad, the Tenancy tribunal Adjudicator should be forced to spend a month in the street or else resign. Who paid for this family's lawyer? If legal aid. Its a double whammy on the taxpayer, plus all the costs involved and lets not forget the Ahmed Zhaoui affair, an illegal immigrant who is still costing the taxpayer.
Old School (Auckland)
The PM criticising a decision of the Tenancy Tribunal is an appalling interference in the system of justice.She should keep her opinions to herself and butt out.
John
The sky is falling!Has anyone actually read the findings of the Tenancy Tribunal? I dont know these people from a bar of soap but I certainly wouldnt rush to any judgment based on the emotive claptrap I have been reading.Instead of facts we get an emotive mix of half-truths and innuendo Intimidation, burglary, if these happened why dont the police arrest the perpetrators? Noise? ring noise control And now witnesses having to go into hiding for fear of retribution? Methinks too much television.Sounds to me like a good old-fashioned witch-hunt for the herd.Get over it.
Concerned landlords agent
As an agent for landlords, this is a bad decision for the neighbours who have put themselves on the line, only two letters from persons whose peace is disturbed by tenants, this should have been enough for a termination of a tenancy. We in the industry are very worried that when a tenancy goes wrong we may not have the right to have a tenancy terminated now.
Susan O'Neill
Were we surprised by the verdict? No of course not, it is typical of what happens over here. I suggest the other residents of Range View Road go en-mass to Housing New Zealand and demand to be moved away from this family. If they had brought in a sensible policy regarding state houses i.e. only yours for 5 years to give you a helping hand and then move on and give another poor family a chance, this sort of thing would not of happened. A state house should not be for life and definitely not to be handed down to other generations. Funny, how quick the Salt's decided that compensation might be the way to go.
Lester Williams(Wellington)
It is possible that Mrs Salt and her children will now behave themselves and cease to be a nuisance to the neighbourhood. If I were them I would be very very careful - behind every curtain in that street will be a camera recording every incident. And every incident will be reported to Housing NZ, police, noise control and anyone else the neighbours can think of. Next time there will be the paper trail from hell for the Salt family. The Tenancy Tribunal seems to be making up the rules as it goes along. How come Mrs Salt was allowed to be represented by a lawyer? Does that mean landlords can take their lawyer along now?
Sara Knight
If these people don't need legal aid and have enough money to afford their own lawyer why are they living in a state house? I thought state houses were for people on low incomes?
Auckland
No doubt that the neighbours complaints were justified, otherwise why would they bother? In situations like this you must make complaints quickly and without any reservations. People cannot be allowed to get away with intimidation and harassment. It's a shame that the judge made the wrong decision, but I think that even just making a complaint can bring results, because the bullies realize that they need to be careful. Well done to the neighbours for making the right moves, hopefully they'll be better off.
Tenancy trial
If there is any upside to the tenancy tribunal decision, it has to be that no unsuspecting, new neighbours will end up being asSALTed!/span>
Karen
I am a Housing NZ tenant. I am self employed working 84hrs of a 7 day week and have done for 18 years without a day off.I pay market rent. I am not entitled to any form of government assistance. I am female, white, living alone and childless.I don't have parties, I don't annoy my neighbours in any way. On the contrary, I help my neighbours where I can and take pains to ensure that my dog is not a nuisance.Last year I had financial problems and was late with rent payments on several occasions (maybe 3 or 4) for the first time in nearly a decade. I was given notice of the corporations intention to end my tenancy.They told me that they didn't care what problems I was having or about my spotless record with them all those years. Pay up or get out they said.They backed down when an MP stepped in on my behalf.Compare me to Sharon Salt and her offspring. Compare the corporation's treatment of me and their frivolous behaviour with Ms Salt.If I am late with PAYE or GST the IRD sools into me with fines as big as $250 for late payment of just 2 days. Go figure. I just wish I'd left New Zealand many years ago.
Max
If "The allegations made were malicious and false." then why does Salt want "...her neighbours to know they did not need to live in fear."? What is wrong with Amanda Elliot? She notes that there have only been a few disruptions since January - if these were people deserving of a state house there wouldn't have been any disruptions! Not enough evidence? Are the Police not worthy as witnesses any more? Amanda Elliot is single-handedly rewriting hundreds of years of our legal system.
Joe S
Obviously that family needs some sort of mentoring or counseling. What is chucking them out on the street going to do? Probably show the children that gangs are their only option. The T.T. only have themselves to blame for not following procedure.
Karl (Massey)
Yet another chapter in the ongoing saga of how we let deadbeats and dropouts run this country. Live a good, respectful, honest life and get nothing in return but more taxes, higher rates, and increased power bills. Contribute nothing to society but a freakishly large family which just adds to the burden on the state, allow members of this family to wreak havoc amongst the neighbours who live near the house which the state has provided for you, and not only do you get to keep the house but you even consider claiming compensation from the police for harassment.Does anyone else want to secede from the Republic of Clarkistan? If enough of us band together to form our own country, maybe we could live with the values our parents had the decency to instil in us - rather than be held hostage by trash.
Jo (Wgtn)
I wouldn't expect anything less from our great Tenancy Tribunal. The number one ask of a tenant is to pay rent - as simple as that. You'd think that if they didn't pay rent you'd be able to kick them out, right? Nope. They get to stay in a house they don't own, for free, while the Tenancy Tribunal makes it all better for them and gives the finger to the private owners. I'm guessing something will be done about the Tenancy Tribunal now that they have given Housing NZ, and effectively the Government, the finger.
Le Fox
How do these people get such jobs of responsiblity when clearly they have not got a clue on how to implement the basic law of human rights & try & keep my tax dollars better placed?
McV
Poor Aunty Helen - it must be tough for her to get involved in this one - after all this family are the product of Labours social engineering policy...I can assure you they are all labour party voters in that household. They are encouraged to bred more scum who in turn vote labour and bred more bludgers.
Murray
What else would you expect from the tenancy tribunal? The rights of citizens to live a decent life in this country take second place to the licence of others to intimidate, harass,flout the law. But never mind, the PM has expressed her concern. So all will be well. Maybe one of the innocent neighbours needed to be injured or die before the proper resolution was reached. My answer... get on top of these parasites and monitor them until they change their behaviour or move. All power to the police and whatever security meassures they take. Include guards in the street, electronic surveillance, whatever it takes.
Dave
Leave them where they are I dont want them moving next to me. Better still it would be better if Housing NZ would buy all the houses in a town and not just one or two. Put the lazy bum troublemakers all together where they will all have to put up with each other.
Adam
Mrs Salt should have no rights until she starts contributing towards society & pays taxes instead of bludging from them.As for seeking any compensation, what a joke, Mrs Salt has not paid a cent that wasn't already given to her by us tax payers.Why is it that bad people always get protected, whilst honest hardworking people who contribute towards society get punished?
Behr (Manurewa)
Yet again we have people who live in nice little houses with either white picket fences or huge gates with security systems that would not have the likes of the Salts living in their street. Maybe the tribunal should try walking in other peoples shoes and realise that people like the Salts don't care about anyone else but themselves. We "had" neigbours like this who where housing tenants and we did get them sorted out and the main trouble makers were told to leave, only because we did have records and we threatened to go to the media about it & we weren't about to back down, yes some of the neighbours were threatened. For the record this was way before this case ever came to light. The neighbours all worked together for the better of our little cul-de-sac. We now have our nice quite little no end street back. These tenants need to understand that this is not long term accommodation it is only supposed to be a stepping stone to get them back on their feet to moving on, a bit like a benefit really (a joke).
Pauline
I am a single struggling parent with two children and there is no way my children would behave the way those boys have. To use poverty as an excuse is an absolute cop-out, I am renting and treat my neighbours with friendliness and respect as do they to my family. I watched Mrs Salt's lawyer on TV last night, what a joke. He doesn't have to live in that street does he.I wonder if he would be so smug and condescending if he had to have his friends and family intimidated by a bunch of low life thugs. They should all be evicted, including their mother. I hope that any action she takes for compensation gets laughed out of court - some days I don't know how I will feed my kids but I always do...and I always know where they are. Get a life.
Roland Boschma
It is disappointing, if not negligent, that the housing NZ representative chose to pursue eviction on the grounds of noise as that seems to be one of their lesser offenses. But I would have thought the testimony by the neighbors of their plight would have been taken into account.Perhaps the Salt family needs to be relocated to the adjudicators neighborhood for her/him to take in the full weight of the situation the Rangeview road neightbors are in.The fact that Ms. Salt's lawyer is likely going to seek compensation is insulting. Perhaps it is the neighbors of the Salt's that should be seeking compensation from the Salt family for loss of property value and mental distress; what of their human rights to pursue a life free of intimidation.
SkyLynne
I don't agree with this decision. I think the people in the area deserve a break. Obviously this mother has never got control of her own children, and there is nothing to suggest that she will now. Other people have rights as well, and she has obviously not ever had any concern for others. It's all very well to sob and say your children have let you down, but for goodness sake, take responsibility. I think the Tenancy Tribunal should have ruled that she should be shifted to another area so that those people nearby can feel safe. If there's now no problem, that means she can have a fresh start in a neighbourhood who don't fear her and her family. That would be a win/win situation.
Pete (Christchurch)
One has to ask the question, if Mrs Salts elder spawn are not allowed back into the family home (sic), then you have to assume that another poor street will duly suffer the same fate as those in Range View. I bet those cretins will be living off the state as well in a Housing NZ property! There's a place for such people - it's called jail! Nice, warm, fuzzy, plenty of distractions and access to all manner of recreational drugs. At least the neighbours there will be able to give as good as they get.
Murdoch
Kick them out!
I mean to say, does this set the bench mark for other housing NZ tenants? And if so, this country is in a bad way!NZ has made it too easy for people at the lower end of the socioeconomic scale to live without having to do anything!Where else can you sit at home all day and play video games, smoke drugs, drink alcohol, have children, and contribute to domestic violence and antisocial behaviour? Take away their housing and welfare benefits and I can guarantee you that these disruptive individuals will immediately change their focus and become law abiding, career orientated individuals!
They have it too easy and are comfortable with the handouts. They are too used to sitting on the side lines while the rest of the population works and pays taxes to fund their existence.The current system is conducive to middle class workers and unemployed. If we reduced benefits or restricted it's allocation more tightly, then the country would be more likely to generate the initiative needed for entrepreneurs and business minded individuals. How often do you hear of an immigrant coming here with no money and yet becoming a millionaire? It's applicable.
Supporting the Neighbour
I feel sick every time I see that "neighbour from hell" woman and her lawyer on TV. You can read between the lines that this is just one big act. For those neighbours who put themselves out there to fight for peace in your street- well done! Youve done us proud.
Dodgy lawyer
y partner and myself have also had to deal with HNZ tenants from hell living next door to our home.We also went though the eviction process in the Tenancy Tribunal appearing as witness for HNZ.In our case we fought for 2 years and went through 2 tenancy hearings to eventually have the anti-social unemployed violent loser removed. As mentioned by others its time to get out the camera or video camera and start recording the Salts actions to counter the obscene rights these outcasts have stacked in their favour.
Arron
How hypocritical of Comrade Clark to question the ruling, the Salt family must feel right at home with the no-responsibility, no punishment for crime, bludging society that she and her socialist cronies have created. I feel sorry for all of the people living near toe-rag Housing Corp "tenants". The first thing I find out if I move house is whether Housing Corp is nearby. The government should sell up all their properties and let these losers fend for themselves.
Richard from O'Donnell Avenue
I think the decision made by the tribunal is not wrong as children or tenants' behaviour is not associated with whether they qualify for a state house. Will neighbourhood ask authorities to evict occupiers of a house who made the same problem and own the house? The question we should be asking is who should be responsible for these problems and how to deal with it. We live in O'Donnell Ave, a few blocks from the Range View Road. On the first day we settled few years ago, we have been suffering problems like bad graffiti on fence, lost clothes/ shores, chairs etc in garden, car smashed on road parking, littering rubbish on footpath, neighbours midnight party, teenagers quarrel noise, etc, enough, enough. Would it help by just evicting the tenants in the sate house? What about these who live in their owen house, can they be evicted?
Annie
I am glad the Prime Minister is concerned about the Tribunal's decision - we should all be! What is the Tribunal thinking? How did they reach such a negative and frightening ruling? I hope it can and will be overturned.
Margot
We have a State House across the road from us too. The tenants aren't even NZers! They are very low quality people - just the kind that housing NZ like. Every Monday we pick up RTD bottles off our lawn. The government is not responsible for housing people, individuals must take responsibility for putting a roof over their head. Do you really think most state house tenants give a rats about their free house? Okay, it might a be few dollars off their benefit, so in essence it is free. Why should hard working Kiwis pay for these bludgers? Sell the lot and start the process of making NZ a better place!
Property investor
This family should have been kicked out years ago. They have no right to a State House when Mrs Salt keeps having children that she cannot afford. People who are suffering genuine hard ship deserve this property, not some woman who is a professional bludger. Her sons should be out working and contributing financially but they have been raised by a woman who believes that the government should pay her money rather than earn it. The Salt Family are just a pack of benefit bludgers who are bringing this country down!
Kevin O'Brien
T he Tribunal is a properly constituted Court. It heard the evidence and has decided. If the Prime Minister speaks against their judgements to undermine them, do we have any law left? Are the Courts to be obedient to Her?
Auckland
This just show they don't care about people, we also went through a year with the Tenancy Tribunal trying to get a state house person evicted for constant noise day and night, parties day and night and yelling all night long, we both work, we own our house we have children and we tried to do the right thing by going to housing corp, contacting noise control we did everything by the book for a whole year to be told its been thrown out of for not enough evidence. It was gut wrenching, we have to watch these people on the benefit, drinking, parting not working while we would hard and try to bring our family up and they get away with it, and because of the house prices now we cannot even afford to move.
Barry
It's disgusting! How can the tribunal arrive at such a decision? Unbelievable! Doesn't the tribunal realise the sufferings of the majority of the neighbours instead of siding one tenant. My sympathy goes to the neighbours. The credibility of the tribunal is at stake. The situation is so obvious that the tenant should have been kick out. It's a real sad day for the neighbours.
Mike B
Absolutely unbelievable but absolutely typical of the wowser attitude of some in this country. That adjudicator should be made to live next to these thugs for a month. I feel sorry for the other residents of this street. I hope the Police come down hard on this 'lady's' fine family but I doubt that will happen either.
Once a landlord
What I find so strange is that while the Salt family have been terrorising the entire street for such a very long time, why did it take so long to actually get something done about them, i.e. taking them to the Tenancy Tribunal. This family does not deserve to be living in a state house paid for by the taxpayer if they can't be responsible neighbours. As usual the poor landlord, in this case the Government, has been let down and so of course have the neighbours. I had a very tidy rental property some 8 years ago, the tenant wrecked it in double quick time leaving me with a bill of some $10,000 in repairs, the Tenancy Tribunal got only $1,000 out of the tenant as part payment for damage done. My next line of action would have been to take them to court, but as they kept saying they had no money, this to the Tribunal, what would have been the gain for me. I had to bear the loss. Who will bear the court costs in this case? I suppose we the taxpayer. The Salts will now feel empowered to continue their reign of intimidating behaviour knowing they can get away with it. How ludicrous and unjust is that? Bring on sensible sentencing.
Reason
Why do the privileges given to one family outweigh the rights of others? Who is the law serving in this instance? Any law a government puts in place should be for the protection of the society it has been elected to govern not to protect the few who continue to abuse the system. What has this family done for the community who, in essence, supports their lifestyle through taxes? They have abused them, taken advantage of them, and now Sharon Salt is referred to by her lawyer as being "..happy but at the same time upset at what she's been through". I too am upset at what she has been through - it never should have happened - it never should have gotten to the stage it has and she should have been evicted 12 years ago when the trouble started.
Ann, burnt landlord from years ago (Rotorua)
In my experience the Tenancy Tribunal does not rule in favour of the landlords and their decisions ultimately resulted in my losing tens of thousands of dollars on a property I had owned and had rented at the time. I had the unfortunate experience of tenants who refused to pay the rent and I negotiated reasonable and fair repayment terms which they were happy with. Given the tenants failed to comply with the tenancy agreement, I then took the steps of terminating their tenancy three times in total and on all occasions, the tenants ran to the Tenancy Tribunal citing all sorts of creative reasons as to why they should not be evicted. On each occasion, the Tenancy Tribunal would rule in their favour and allow the tenant to remain. The arrears grew along with consistent damage to the property and the only way to resolve the situation was to sell the property. I eventually sold for $65K and when it was tenanted, it had a market value of $95K so a very expensive and costly time courtesy of the Tenancy Tribunal at that time. Looks like things have not altered much since and it is about time the rights of the landlord are put well ahead of those of the tenants.
MS (Auckland)
Here we go again, namby pamby do gooding do gooders who only see the best in people. What a crock! - Let them try living in fear in that street. Time to get video cameras out, get some real evidence. But then the question is if this family are moved, where will they go? Because its not likely that many people would want them in their street, but at the same time why do the neighbours have to live in fear. No doubt this will be ongoing with many more calls to the police. Not a good outcome!
Philip
Why complain? You reap what you sow. Once we have decided to support the moral decay of the nation then we will have to bear the consequences. We legalise prostitution, reduce the drinking age, legitimise gay relations, debate over party pills and support boobs on bikes. We will have to put up with Mrs Salt and family who will threaten the neighbours and give the Kahui rapist with 140 convictions heated floor in prison in the name of human rights. This is only the start. It looks like God has given up on the nation.
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