Eyesore over the road means woman can’t sell home
A woman says the “disgusting” state of the property across the road is turning potential buyers away from her home.
And now a council has issued the owners of the untidy property with an order to clean up by next week.
Shirley Reay has her Waitere St property in Marton on the market and says about five otherwise interested buyers pulled out, citing the house across the road as a reason not to put in an offer.
It appears to be abandoned and has rubbish strewn all over, including whiteware, household rubbish, cars and barbecues.
Reay said there was a smell wafting from it last week.
“It’s just everywhere. We’ve seen rats, we’ve seen all sorts of stuff . . . nobody will look at this house while that’s there and I’ve got to sell it.”
About six residents in the street signed letters to the Rangitikei District Council asking it to do something.
“We’ve all had enough,” Reay said. “If I had my way a bulldozer would go through it.”
Council staff visited the property and chief executive Ross McNeil said it had issued an abatement notice and cleansing order under the Health Act which would remain until August 14: “If the order is not complied with, council will take further steps to clear the property — both inside and outside.”
Reay is booked into a Feilding retirement village and needs to sell by October “otherwise I lose my place in the rest home”.
She said no one had lived at the other property for about a month.