Police called to Kainga Ora complex after complaints of axe threat and urine poured across entrance of apartment

Kainga Ora resident Ada Shi wants something done about her safety after threatening behaviour from her neighbour.  Photo / Jason Oxenham

A resident at an Auckland Kainga Ora apartment block says she fears for her safety and that of other residents after she was allegedly threatened with an axe by one of her neighbours.

Police said they are investigating a complaint relating to an ongoing dispute at the residential complex.

Ada Shi, 48, has been living in her apartment since 2016 and said she called police after another resident allegedly raised an axe to threaten her and visitors to her home last weekend.

She claimed the neighbour also poured urine across her mat and front entrance of her apartment and put human faeces on the top of her rubbish bin.

Ada Shi said she came home to urine being poured across the entrance of her unit. Photo / Jason Oxenham

A police spokesman said police had received several reports regarding the dispute with the latest being made on Sunday morning.

“Inquiries are continuing into this report where it was reported threatening language was used,” the spokesman said.

“Police will be looking to speak with all parties concerned.

“This is an ongoing matter and police will continue to assess for any relevant offending or further appropriate action.”

Shi said she was concerned for the neighbour.

That neighbour kept shouting from her window, including using swear words, when she saw Herald journalists at Shi’s property.

We made the decision not to speak to that neighbour so as not to escalate the situation.

Kainga Ora regional director John Tubberty said he was limited to what he could comment on because of privacy matters.

“We take complaints very seriously and have been actively working to resolve this complex situation,” Tubberty said.

“As is often the case with disputes between neighbours, there are differing accounts about what has been happening.

“However, there is no doubt that some of the behaviour demonstrated by the customer involved in this situation... has been simply unacceptable.”

Tubberty said the agency had taken action to address the matter, including using tools available to it as a landlord under the Residential Tenancies Act.

“We cannot go into further details for privacy reasons, but we are working towards resolving this situation,” he said.

Ada Shi says living in her Kainga Ora unit is now unbearable. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Tubberty said in its role as a landlord, Kainga Ora works closely with other agencies when needed.

“In situations where people are concerned for the physical safety of themselves or others, it is important they get in contact with the police immediately as they are the agency responsible for protecting public safety,” he said.

Shi claimed the neighbour has been giving her and other residents in the complex “hell”.

“Once I came home to having rotten fish thrown outside my backyard and I’ve also had my fruit trees damaged. It’s really unbearable,” she said.

“The neighbour would also randomly bang on my windows and yell non stop in the middle of the night. I can’t sleep and it has been affecting my work.”

Shi said the woman’s behaviour had gotten worse recently, and claimed it escalated last Saturday to her using an axe to threaten her visitors.

“I had two visitors who are missionaries from America coming to see me, and for no reason, this neighbour started abusing them and tried to scare them with an axe,” Shi claimed.

“I called the police, I am just worried that it will be just a matter of time before someone gets hurt.”

Shi said she had reached out to Kainga Ora multiple times over the last six years asking to be relocated or for her neighbour to support.

“But every one of my pleas for help to Kainga Ora has fallen on deaf ears,” she said.

In the last 14-month period, Kainga Ora had received more than 10,000 complaints about its tenants.

However, just two tenancies have been terminated over that time.