Family's house carted off on truck after loan payments missed

Matthew Tapurau waited next door as his home was removed. Photo / Paul Estcourt

A family's home was carried away on the back of a truck yesterday because they failed to meet the mortgage payments.

Matthew Tapurau was told he had just one hour to remove his family's belongings before his home of the past 18 years was loaded on to a trailer and repossessed.

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

Bill Tapurau, a construction worker, said he didn't know what he would do now.

He said he and his wife split up in 1995 and the house was mortgaged with 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.

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

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

He said taking boats and property for mortgagee sales was not unusual.

"But I've never heard of that [taking a house] ever before."

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 things as they could before the workmen arrived to chainsaw through the foundations.

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

The 18-year-old said he planned to sleep at his cousin's home next door.

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 his grandparents, now both dead, were still inside the house.

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

Sergeant Mike Colson was watching the progress.

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