Family's home carted away after payments missed

Police say they were 'just there to keep the peace' as the Kaipara dwelling was prepared for removal. Photo / Paul Estcourt

A family's house was carried away on a truck yesterday because they did not meet the mortgage payments.

Matthew Tapurau, 18, was told he had one hour to remove his family's belongings before the home he had lived in all his life was loaded on to a trailer and repossessed.

The Kaipara dwelling was the home of Mr Tapurau, his father Bill and his father's girlfriend.

Bill Tapurau, a construction worker, said he did not know what he would do now.

He said he and his wife had split up in 1995, and the house was mortgaged with the Westpac bank in her name.

Mr Tapurau said he was not able to make the payments.

"I've just got nothing now ... I'm just so destroyed."

It is understood that the house has been the subject of court action.

Westpac would not comment yesterday because Mr Tapurau was not the owner of the house.

Aaron Sewell, who serves court documents on people, said he had never heard of a house being repossessed.

A Ministry of Justice bailiff and police officers arrived yesterday morning as Matthew Tapurau and his cousin were watching television.

"The cops just came and gave me some form," Mr Tapurau said.

He and his cousin, Jaedon Dawson, emptied the house of as many possessions as they could before workmen arrived to chainsaw through the foundations.

"I can't be mad at them. They're just doing their job," Mr Tapurau said.

He and Mr Dawson had to store the family television, photographs and clothing in an old corrugated-iron shed as the rain threatened.

"They reckon if we don't pay, we can't get our stuff out ... They're just going to sell it."

Mr Tapurau said he believed photographs of grandparents now dead were still inside the house.

He said his family were close and they would pull together.

Sergeant Mike Colson was keeping an eye on the repossession.

He said police were "just there to keep the peace".