Offer on house before removal

Bill Tapurau lived in the house until two weeks ago, when it was taken away on the back of a truck. Photo / Paul Estcourt

The man whose home was taken by truck after his ex-wife stopped paying the mortgage says he tried in vain to buy the house.

Bailiffs took the Tapurau family home in Helensville this month, by court order, after Kathryn Grove failed to repay a $55,000 mortgage.

Housing NZ loaned Ms Grove the money in 1990 and a mortgage in her name was taken over the house - but not the land.

Bill Tapurau said he split with Ms Grove in 1995 and she stopped making payments to the Home Mortgage Company some time later.

Mr Tapurau lived in the house until two weeks ago, when it was taken away on the back of a truck.

He was devastated by the forced removal and said he approached the Home Mortgage Company "numerous times" in recent years to take over the loan repayments from his former partner.

"I tried to purchase the house. [Home Mortgage] didn't want to talk to me. As far as they were concerned, I was squatting in the house."

Asked why he did not buy the house from Ms Grove directly, Mr Tapurau said he was not on speaking terms with his former partner. "I'm blaming Home Mortgage company, not [Ms Grove]. I offered them money and they wouldn't take it."

The Home Mortgage Company is owned by Westpac bank. A Westpac spokesman said Mr Tapurau should have approached the owner of the house.

"Mr Tapurau was not the owner, nor the borrower. Mr Tapurau was asked to vacate by the legal owner. That is all we can tell you."

Court documents show Ms Grove was sent a mortgage default notice in October 2008, followed by a notice to remove the house in February 2009.

Westpac was aware she no longer lived there but that Mr Tapurau did.

"Despite plaintiff serving a notice to remove the house, the occupants of the house have failed and refused to vacate the house," the bank's statement of claim said.

Ms Grove said she could not afford to keep up the mortgage payments after she moved out.

"The house being under my name, it's a sad situation for me. At the end of the day, it falls on me."

She said the situation had dragged on and was no good for anyone but the house should never have been in her name because she did not own the land.

"The payments weren't being made, so that's basically it."