Farmhouse Lodge owners Novia and Dawson Bliss. Photo / Rafaella Melo
The owners of a well-known lodge that houses 50 tenants near Hastings have hit out at what they feel was an overzealous and unjustified Hastings District Council property inspection.
Farmhouse Lodge in Fernhill has had a challenging few months.
On State Highway 50, the lodge, once known as the Fernhill Hotel, operates as a multi-tenanted accommodation site, with dozens of people renting individual cabins and dwellings.
The place was threatened by fire on December 23 when a grass fire on the hill at its back spread rapidly, destroying structures further up.
Fire and Emergency NZ continues to investigate the cause of the fire.
The fire has compounded the stress of events of a month earlier, which remain raw for owners Novia and Dawson Bliss.
Novia was cooking when Hastings District Council compliance officers arrived at the door with police on the morning of November 26.
She said she and all tenants were asked to leave the property about 9.30am on a near 30C day, and were not allowed back inside for about six hours as authorities picked through the lodge and cabins one-by-one.
“I told them I wanted to go back inside to turn off my stove, and they didn’t let me,” Novia claimed.
“They said they would do it, but they didn’t.”
“When we came back, the stove had caught fire,” Dawson claimed.
Hastings District Council disputes this part.
A spokeswoman said they had executed a search warrant at the property under the Resource Management Act and the Search and Surveillance Act, investigating suspected building and activity-related offences.
A spokesperson said an officer responsible for searching the Bliss residence had advised that the stove was turned off during the search.
Dawson and Novia claim tenants should not have been required to remain outside the property from about 9.30am to 3.30pm, without access to their rooms, toilets, vehicles, food or medication.
Many of the residents, they say, have mental health needs and some are placed there by government agencies, including Corrections and probation services.
“They were sitting under a tree, hungry and thirsty,” Novia said.
“Some needed medication ... Some were crying.”
Dawson said the way the search warrant was carried out was particularly distressing for tenants with mental health issues.
“There was no support person present during the execution of the warrant.”
The pair claim several tenants were prevented from re-entering their cabins to use the bathroom or take medication, and that some doors and private caravans were forced open during the search.
“They broke into some cottages. Probably about five ... Why didn’t they ask for the keys from us? They just smashed the doors open,” Dawson said.
A council spokesperson said a locksmith was on site to open locked doors.
“If locks were broken, they were replaced once the search was completed,” the spokesperson said.
Novia said she felt she was “treated like a terrorist”.
“I was crying. I was screaming. I asked them: Why did you bring so many cops in here? Am I a criminal? Am I a murderer? And they said it was because we had a lot of people living here.
“So, it means they were insulting my tenants. My tenants are not dangerous. They are nice people.”
Dawson claimed he was given no prior warning of the search and that he and his wife had received no updates from the council since.
“They just arrived completely out of the blue, and they’ve never told us what it’s actually for,” he said.
“There’s no communication. They never told us we were doing anything wrong since 2015.”
Novia said if there was something wrong with the property, the council should tell them, so they could fix it.
“Then they check again, and if it’s still not fixed, they take action.”
A Hastings District Council spokeswoman said residents were asked to leave the building or room they were occupying during the six-hour inspection for safety reasons.
“Residents were not detained and were free to leave the property to seek any services or support they required.
“The property was revisited on December 2, 2025, when information was handed to Mr and Mrs Bliss regarding the search.
“Mr Bliss was asked to put his questions in writing. No correspondence has been received.”
Council compliance manager Sam Hayes said information gathered during the search was still being assessed, with no decision yet made on whether further action would be taken.
“The warrant was in relation to suspected offences under the Resource Management Act, relating to buildings and other activities,” Hayes said.
“Information gathered on the day is being collated, and that will determine if any further action is required. No decisions have been made in that regard.”