By Rebecca Devine in Rotorua
The man operating a keyminding business at Rotorua's "Sewer Motors" is adamant he had council permission to go into business at the unofficial car yard.
Alan George, who has been operating from the Te Ngae Rd site, says he telephoned the Rotorua District Council and spoke with an officer who gave him verbal permission to go into business.
The bylaws inspector at the council Mr George claims he spoke to said he only became involved after a call from Mr George's relative some time after he began operating.
The council has confirmed officers are now in talks with Mr George to try to come to some sort of solution which would allow him to continue to be Sewer Motors' official keyminder.
Claims were made to The Daily Post before Christmas by some people concerned that a "mystery man" they branded a con man was operating at the informal Te Ngae Rd car lot.
The district council received complaints about him and moved to distance themselves from the man, saying he had nothing to do with the council.
But Mr George has contacted The Daily Post saying he was the man at the centre of the allegations. He also said he had approached the council and had received verbal permission to go ahead with the business he had named Incar Key Holding Facility.
He disputes claims that he was pushy and his business would make people reluctant to sell their vehicles at the area.
Mr George said he had received huge amounts of positive feedback about his business and was hoping to make it permanent.
For a fee of either $20 for the day or $30 for a weekend he had been looking after the keys for cars parked at the roadside car yard - allowing potential buyers to look inside the car and have it started.
He said he did not allow people to go for test drives.
Mr George said the business was a great idea and he planned to continue with it once the issues with the council were sorted out.
In the two weekends he had been operating he had been "run off his feet", he said.
"The response was just outstanding. People were just amazed and happy to see someone there for security reasons."
He said it had been particularly popular with professional people who did not want to constantly go back to the salesyard to show prospective buyers their car.
Mr George said he was hoping to be back in business again as soon as he had the council's authority to do so.
It was an idea he was hoping he would be able to introduce throughout the country once it took off in Rotorua.
Keyminder says he had council permission
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