A Foxton woman who was sleeping on the streets after being trespassed from her own home has welcomed a Tenancy Tribunal decision which classed a man living there as her boarder.
A Foxton woman is thrilled to be done with sleeping rough on the street after a battle with her boarder but faces a huge mess and a mountain of debt.
Lyn Parlane-Powell, 73, was left homeless after Martin Geoffrey Foote, 56, trespassed her from her own Huntly Street home on Christmas Eve last year.
But last week police were able to enforce a separate order requiring Foote to vacate the house following a tenancy tribunal hearing decision which failed to recognise him a tenant.
Parlane-Powell had originally sought refuge at a nearby retirement home on the advice of Age Concern and her lawyer.
But she was unhappy there and had little hope of meeting daily charges of almost $150. She ended up sleeping in her car on the street.
Riverside general manager Mark Buckley hand-delivered a letter last night with an invoice from her stay there which amounted to almost $6000.
He declined to comment when contacted by the Horowhenua Chronicle.
In his letter, he said he was "delighted that you have managed to repossess your property and that you have been able to move home. We are still holding your furniture for you - please let us know when you are able to collect it".
However, the letter also issued instructions to pay for her time at at the retirement home.
"If we don't receive a payment plan or an indication that you wish to arrange a reasonable plan before March 8, I will lodge your debt with a collection agency."
The latest bill compounds Parlane-Powell's financial situation, and the reason she originally received advice from her WINZ case manager to seek a boarder, she said.
As she had little money left each week after paying her mortgage and weekly expenses, a boarder, or boarders, were meant to help with money towards those expenses.
She still owned the bank more than $105,000 and her mortgage repayments were set at $649 a month. She currently received $1058 each month through her WINZ benefit.
There was also a credit card bill of $11,000
"I'm basically up it without a paddle," she said.
She said her bank was very understanding, but she was concerned patience was wearing thin. She may eventually lose her home anyway.
Some of the mess witnessed by the Chronicle.
Added to her stress, Parlane-Powell had bowel cancer six years ago and was currently undergoing tests with doctors fearing it had returned.
Meanwhile, she continued to clean inside the house. There were generous helpings of mouse droppings over the sink area and on top of the fridge.
"It's took me three hours to clean that," she said, pointing to the sink.
The bedroom had dozens of empty beer cans and vape juice bottles and food on a plate which had turned green with rot. There were copies of Barry Crump books on the bed.
Parlane-Powell said she would struggle to rid the room of its musty smell. Outside, the front lawn hadn't been mown for months.
