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Two “heinous” abandoned Christchurch properties that attract squatters, vandals, rats and possibly fire bugs have neighbors in the coastal suburb living in fear.
The houses, which stand side by side on Marine Parade in New Brighton, have broken windows, are covered in graffiti and are littered with dead animals and human feces. Both buildings are rotten and full of broken furniture.
One of the properties flooded under the floorboards.
JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON / Stuff
The properties have been abandoned since the earthquakes.
Neighbors say the houses are a public danger and have demanded action, while one councilor calls the situation a “slap in the face.”
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Attempts to Stuff contacting Prashant Jain and Ajay Valanju, who are the owners of the listed properties, were unsuccessful. Neighbors believe they now live in Australia.
As of the 2018 census, there were 154,293 homes in Christchurch, of which 12,993, or 8.4%, were vacant. This compares with Auckland’s 39,769 vacant homes of 547,059, or 7.3 percent.
There are 1232 people on the social housing registry in Christchurch.
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Katherine Mordue says the buildings could have been saved, but “now they are just gone.”
Grace Garner, who lives next door to one of the houses, said they appeared to have been abandoned shortly after the Christchurch earthquakes in 2011. About two years ago their conditions deteriorated.
“Our kitchen window looks out onto those houses and you can see people marking and throwing bricks. You see people going to the bathroom … they just throw themselves on the floor. “
An offer from his brother-in-law to buy each of the houses for $ 250,000 was rejected. The properties have taxable values of $ 320,000 and $ 245,000.
She and other neighbors complained to the Christchurch City Council, but said no action was taken.
“It’s just a garbage site. It is like a landfill.
“It really sucks too. It smells so bad. “
JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON / Stuff
Neighbor Vanessa Barr is frustrated by the council’s lack of action.
Vanessa Barr, who lives on a property behind the houses, said people would be “amazed” by the number of squatters.
“When the dog needs to get out, I think, ‘Oh my God, hurry up’ because I don’t want to be there. It’s really scary. ”
There was “feces everywhere” in the houses, he said.
His cat also regularly trapped rats on the property.
“We keep calling the police and the city council, but they don’t care.”
There is also usually a strong smell of marijuana coming from the property, Barr said.
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The abandoned houses are littered with dead birds, garbage and human feces.
Katherine Mordue, who lived on an adjacent property until recently, said she could often smell the drugs coming from the site.
“At one point, some people came in and looted the place, took the fireplace. Three years ago the buildings would have been recoverable, now they just disappeared. “
“I really didn’t enjoy living there. Some of the residents moved out. We were really scared. “
The council has received 122 complaints about dilapidated or abandoned buildings in the past two years.
When complaints are filed, the staff assesses the properties to determine if they are covered by laws, including the Building Law, the Health Law, and the Local Government Law.
The council’s head of regulatory compliance, Tracey Weston, said she has received six complaints about one of the properties since March 2018.
JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON / Stuff
A city councilor says leaving the abandoned houses was a “slap in the face” to the other residents.
They related to the building’s abandoned condition, including “windows in need of repair, tall grass, rodents, odor, and a question about whether the building was dangerous under the Building Act.”
He inspected the property, but found no gaps.
However, due to the high number of complaints, the council contacted the property owner. He received no reply.
Waitai / Coastal-Burwood Community Board Chairman Kelly Barber said it was “incredibly frustrating” when properties were left in abandoned states.
Councilman James Gough said leaving the abandoned houses was a “slap in the face” from other residents.
“Trying to rent a building that is adjacent to an abandoned building that may have been used as a P-lab or as a base for the homeless… is very challenging. Not to mention, it becomes a crime hazard, a fire hazard. “
The council had some success in the central city, with its barrier sites policy helping dilapidated property owners find a solution. On the contrary, it increases the pressure on those who refuse to act with fines and have the ability, in extreme cases, to acquire the land.
A similar concept could be introduced in the city at large, but there would have to be community support, Gough said.
