Fancy a cheap quarter-acre section? Council puts abandoned Pātea land up for tender

South Taranaki District Council has opened tenders for four blocks of abandoned land in Pātea. Photo / File

It's less than a kilometre from the sea, four houses from the nearest school and backs onto a scenic reserve next to the river, but the owners of this South Taranaki property don't seem to want it any more.

The property at 38 Kent St in Pātea is one of four in the town that have been deemed by the South Taranaki District Council to be abandoned after years of unpaid rates, with tenders open for their purchase.

According to Quotable Value, the Kent Street property was last sold in September 1990 for just $180. The value of the property is now $24,000.

Owners Dean Jarrod Hendrikus and Mino Fransen also own the nearby property at 28 Pembroke St which has also been deemed abandoned.

The 641 square metre property has a value of $24,000, having last been sold on June 17, 1994 for $625.

A council spokesperson said property can be deemed abandoned after a minimum of three years of unpaid rates.

The declaration is made by a High Court judge, who is required to consider whether or not a reasonable effort has been made to contact the owners of the property prior to a declaration being made.

The proceeds from the sale will go directly to the outstanding rates bill, as well as any costs incurred by the council during the process of locating the owners.

Four blocks of land have been put up for tender in Pātea, after the land was deemed abandoned. Image / South Taranaki District Council

Any remaining proceeds from the sale will go to the Public Trust, so if an owner is ever located they can receive the remaining funds.

Another abandoned block of land up for tender at 19 Pembroke St, owned by Anthony Eugene Anania, has a value of $24,000.

The fourth abandoned block at 2 Monmouth St has a value of $15,000. The property is recorded as being owned by the Estate of Raymond Phillip Whanau and the Estate of Whakarongo Whanau.

Tenders close for the sections at 1pm on Thursday, March 11.