Location, million-dollar view and left to rot away

By CHERIE TAYLOR in Rotorua
It's a three-storey home with a million-dollar view but remains Tihi-o-Tonga's derelict 'ghost house' with weeds growing taller than the building and one neighbour's patience growing thinner by the day.

Maggie Brown and her family have lived next to the abandoned house, belonging to Rotorua's Stephen Bhana, for the past four years and are tired of trying to keep the rapidly developing overgrowth down.

The house was abandoned about 12 years ago. Since then it has been used it as a 'crash pad' and the grounds left to the elements, said Ms Brown.

Dishes still remain in the dish rack and rainwater pours through the roof leaving insulation and ceiling material hanging from the rafters.

"It's amazing. It's just got worse and worse," she said.

"It's unbelievable, this is suburbia and yet look at the place, it is a dump. I've trimmed it up regularly but it just gets higher and higher and it's beyond me to know what to do now," Ms Brown said.

The building now poses a health problem, she claims, and residents have got together to block the driveway to stop the house being used.

"It's a real health hazard.

"You should see the rats running along the trees.

"Surely it has to be fixed up or pulled down," Ms Brown said.

She said she was told by Environment Bay of Plenty and the Rotorua District Council the rampant weeds would be sprayed and Mr Bhana billed for the job.

"It's just got worse and worse and nothing has been done at all.

"How much more has to happen before the council will do something about it?

"This is such a nice part of town."

Attempts to contact Mr Bhana were also fruitless.

"Lots of people have offered to buy it but he won't sell it and yet he does nothing to fix it up. Something is seriously not right," she said.

Mr Bhana has been served with abatement notices by the council in the past for derelict properties he owns in Meadowbank Cres and Pukuatua St.

About two years ago Wrigley Rd residents helped him clear a rat-infested property there of rubbish.

After The Daily Post raised the issue of the Tihi-o-Tonga house with the Rotorua District Council, the property was checked and the council's manager of regulatory services, Jim Nicklin, said he would be contacting Mr Bhana to ensure the house was secured to stop anyone getting inside.

"There are rotten floors on the ground level and the building is leaking badly which presents a potential hazard to kids.

"It could be quite dangerous if some determined kids got in there," he said.

While the grounds were heavily overgrown, it was not a fire hazard at this stage, said Mr Nicklin.

"While there is a phebalium hedge growing rampant it is not a noxious weed and does not affect most people's health," he said.

Mr Bhana refused to comment about the Tihi-o-Tonga property.