House sold but son of former owner refuses to leave

The son of the late owner of this Te Hauke house refuses to give it up to the new owner until his father's estate is settled.

Alan Speer bought a run-down, three-bedroom house at auction last year for $63,000 but needs police help to move in with his young family.

The Te Hauke house, 15 minutes drive south of Hastings, was bought at an auction forced by a 2014 court order to recover rates owed to the Hastings District Council,

At the time of the 2014 order $4000 in rates was outstanding. The council currently lists annual rates at $575 and the value of the house, which sits on a quarter acre and visible from State Highway 2, at $106,000.

Speer said he was relieved police agreed to assist - he felt intimidated by the occupant, the son of the deceased owner, who refused to leave until the balance of the sale was paid.

"He's a pretty volatile guy. You only get one life and I want to look after it - I have young kids."

Speer's lawyer, Donna Carroll of Bay Legal, said the money left over from the sale was in the hands of the Public Trust, the executor of the father's estate, but the Public Trust was waiting for a High Court proceeding before it could release the money.

The proceeding was needed because the Public Trust received the sale money when it was acting in a role other than estate executor

Carroll said she spoke to the son who made "under-the-radar implicit" comments regarding any attempt to make him leave before he received the money left over from the sale.

Speer said police gave the man until Monday to be out of the house and he hopes to start renovating soon because he has to be out of his current home next month.

A police spokesman said it did not routinely serve trespass notices but people with safety concerns were "strongly advised" to get in touch with police.

No one appeared to be home when Hawke's Bay Today visited the house and attempts to contact the son were unsuccessful.