Brothel owners give up battle, sell properties

By ALAN PERROTT

One Tree Hill has already lost its famous tree; now it has lost its infamous suburban brothel.

But this time residents are celebrating the loss and the bright for sale signs which grace the chained gates to Casablanca, a brothel which has operated on Manukau Rd for about 11 years.

The 1920s, two-storey, stucco manor is one of four properties owned by the Perth-based Boston Group. They include two other Auckland massage parlours and a unit next to Casablanca.

The Herald understands the sale was brought about by the worsening health of manager Monica Schoeffel, who moved out of the unit and returned to Australia about two months ago.

Another woman describing herself as a manager associated with the properties said the owners were overseas and did not wish to be contacted.

Together the four properties are worth almost $3 million.

Casablanca at 574 Manukau Rd is valued at $850,000, the adjoining unit is being advertised at $720,000, the building housing Club Casanova at 108 Manukau Rd is valued at $610,000, and a fourth property in Grafton is available for $750,000.

Colin Harper, a real estate agent with LJ Hooker, is handling all four sales.

Before being instructed not to talk to the media, he said the owners were abandoning Auckland because they had tired of the constant flights over the Tasman Sea.

Mr Harper said they had made 16 trips to Auckland last year.

The sale follows a bitter battle with neighbouring residents over planned extensions to the Casablanca premise.

Strong opposition led the owners to withdraw a resource consent application to the Auckland City Council.

But they went ahead with an additional wing to the rear of the building under an earlier non-notified consent.

The wing would have increased the number of rooms from 14 to 23, with a spa pool installed in each.

Work stopped after all the furniture, fittings, carpets and curtains were removed.

The brothel's owners were stung by the Employment Relations Authority last December.

A sacked receptionist at Casablanca was awarded $12,369 in backpay, compensation and legal costs after she complained of receiving only one holiday and no sick leave since she had started work there in 1994.

Neither Casablanca's former owner, Tony Rullo, nor company representative Ricardo Rizzi attended the hearing despite early notice.

A website guide to brothels and parlours lists 41 sex venues in Auckland.

Casablanca is no longer included on the website guide.