Napier siege house up for sale

The property at the centre of a 50-hour armed siege on Napier Hill, which ended when gunman Jan Molenaar turned a weapon on himself, is for sale.

Number 41 Chaucer Rd is the address where Molenaar shot and killed police officer Len Snee and wounded Constables Bruce Miller and Grant Diver, before taking his own life.

Napier based Cox Partners Estate Agents, Managing Director Malcolm Cox said it was his understanding an agency had yet to be appointed to market the property.

"I believe the who and when are things that still need to be determined," he said.

"I will be waiting to see what the process will be."

Crown lawyer Nicola Graham said the three-bedroom property with a rateable value of $260,000 in August, would go to tender in the New Year.

Though she was unsure who would be attracted to a house with such history.

"I have no idea what sort of interest there will be or even whether there will be many people who will want to go through it."

Mr Cox said though the house had a gruesome past, it was not out of the question that someone might want to buy it, if it came at the right price.

"We have had other homes which sold with history. The first thing you need to do is declare it.

"The last home we sold with history dating back about 20 years, was bought and used as a rental."

If Cox Partners Estate Agents were considered to market the property they would, "certainly put forward a proposal", Mr Cox said.

"We have faith in our process and faith to do the best in the current market to get a good price for the client, which in this case would be the Crown."

The house was seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act after the Solicitor-General granted its forfeiture along with about $20,000 - thought to be drug money.

Molenaar's former partner, Delwyn Keefe, is on parole from a 27-month prison sentence for selling cannabis.

In a court hearing earlier this year, the Crown argued Keefe and Molenaar were in a joint cannabis-selling business and their house and money were related to that operation. with APNZ