NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

State house resident with rental properties sentenced

By Edward Gay
NZ Herald·
22 Dec, 2009 12:50 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Allan Willkins rented out two properties (top right) while living in a state house. Photos / Sarah Ivey, Martin Sykes
Allan Willkins rented out two properties (top right) while living in a state house. Photos / Sarah Ivey, Martin Sykes

Allan Willkins rented out two properties (top right) while living in a state house. Photos / Sarah Ivey, Martin Sykes

A man who lived in a state house while he rented out two properties of his own has been sentenced for defrauding the taxpayer.

Allan Wilkins was sentenced to five months home detention and 100 hours community work in the Auckland District Court today.

The Housing New Zealand beneficiary had defrauded the taxpayer of over $68,000 and had pleaded guilty to a charge of using a document to obtain a pecuniary advantage.

Housing NZ said Wilkins lived in two state houses over a period of three years while he owned properties in Wiri and Papakura, which he rented out during that time.

The $68,494 is the amount of money Housing NZ calculated Wilkins had received as rental subsidies over the three years.

Housing New Zealand lawyer Dale Dufty said the authority would be seeking reparations through a civil court case.

"There has been no offer of reparation and one might think that he has some basis to do so," Mr Dufty said.

Wilkins' lawyer Maurice Coughlan said his client had suffered a brain injury in 1986.

"It clouded his ability to understand fully what was going on at home," Mr Coughlan said.

Judge David Wilson, QC, said the brain injury was examined and a neuro-psychiatry report prepared for the court showed that the injury had a "mild to moderate" effect on Wilkins who also underwent tests.

"But in five out of the eight measures, you performed in the normal range," Judge Wilson said.

He said Wilkins' offending meant those in need of state housing were left on a waiting list.

Outside court, Housing New Zealand's manager of investigations Kane Patena said the authority was pleased with the sentence.

"We will not tolerate people who abuse the system and those that do can expect to be held accountable," Mr Patena said.

He said a family in need had been denied a state house while Wilkins took advantage of the system.

"It is completely unacceptable," Mr Patena said.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years' jail.

Wilkins lived in flat 4c at 15 City Rd in the heart of the CBD, then at a large Orakei state property.

The Orakei house at 20 Te Arawa St is surrounded by the country's most expensive collection of state houses. QV lists the house's value as $660,000.

During the three years that Wilkins was living in the two Housing NZ Corporation places and receiving big rent subsidies, he also owned 149 Browns Rd at Wiri and 2 Sheehan Ave in Papakura.

The Wiri property is valued at $260,000 and the Papakura house is estimated at $200,000.

According to Housing New Zealand, as of November 30, 2009, there were 5723 families waiting for a home. Of those, 1241 were requiring a three bedroom home.

Mr Patena said that since a review of Housing New Zealand's investigations processes was carried out two years ago, the number of fraud cases the authority has before the courts has increased seven-fold.

"Housing New Zealand now has over 70 cases of tenant related fraud before the court. So far this year over 60 tenancies have been terminated and $3.7m in debt has been identified for recovery," Mr Patena said.

He said investigations of fraud occur in less than one per cent of state tenancies.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Herald NOW

Herald NOW Weather Update: May 29 2025

Herald NOW

Herald NOW Sports Update: May 29 2025

Herald NOW

Herald NOW News Update: May 29 2025

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
Russia to present peace terms to Ukraine at Istanbul talks
World

Russia to present peace terms to Ukraine at Istanbul talks

28 May 06:42 PM
Pedestrian dies after being hit by car in Christchurch
New Zealand

Pedestrian dies after being hit by car in Christchurch

28 May 06:36 PM
100km/h wind gusts: Rain, thunderstorms forecast for Auckland, Northland
New Zealand

100km/h wind gusts: Rain, thunderstorms forecast for Auckland, Northland

28 May 06:22 PM
Dozens of charges: Tate brothers face serious UK allegations
World

Dozens of charges: Tate brothers face serious UK allegations

28 May 06:11 PM
Netanyahu claims key Hamas leader killed
World

Netanyahu claims key Hamas leader killed

28 May 06:07 PM

Latest from New Zealand

Herald NOW Weather Update: May 29 2025

Herald NOW Weather Update: May 29 2025

Herald NOW Weather Update: May 29 2025. Video / Herald NOW

Herald NOW Sports Update: May 29 2025

Herald NOW Sports Update: May 29 2025

Herald NOW News Update: May 29 2025

Herald NOW News Update: May 29 2025

Pedestrian dies after being hit by car in Christchurch

Pedestrian dies after being hit by car in Christchurch

28 May 06:36 PM
Explore the hidden gems of NSW
sponsored

Explore the hidden gems of NSW

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search