Fourteen Days Was Court's Longest Indulgence

Chronicle (Levin), 9 August 1949, Page 4

Fourteen Days Was Court's Longest Indulgence

"Foprteen days i§ fhe loiigest indulgehce" this ' court can give you. You'will have to get a working oee from among your reiatives and get this house finished' hy :ihen," said Mr. A. A. McLaphlah, ^.M., in the Magistratc's Court, Levin, yesterday whe,n consenting "to ah eviction prdqr against Mxs. N. "Kingi applied for by E. Tomlinson, 'the owner of pxemises in Oxford Street. It was s.tate.d by Mrs. Kingi that fier |ate Husbapd bad begun the erection of a bouse for her and the family before liis death this year, but that it was still not completed. , 3be had nowhere e'se tp, gp. Appearing for" "Mr. Tomlinson, Mr. -J. P. Bertram said the premises were the subject of a closing prder issued by tfie Levin Borough Copncil's health ipspector. Evidence was given by Tomlinson that the premises were let for 15s a' week when he purchased therq. He had been seeking possession of the building since 1943 and no rent had been paid "Since last July, one year ago. ■ y At this stage of the hearing the magistrate said that he would grant an order for possession of the building fprthwith, but later Mrs. Kingi appeared in court and a reppening of the case was alloyred. "Mrs. Kmgi's daughter, who appeared with her, said her mother did not want to give up possession as there was nowhere else for her to go and that she was ' looking after four children. The home that was being built \vas npt yet quite comple'ced. Tomlinson had been offered rent. Mr. McLachlan: No doubt Mr. Tom-inson did not want to create a new tenancy agreement. NaturalIy he would not acce'pt the rent. »

The landlord felt that the Kingi family was just sitting back wait-' ing, and not makiiig an effort to finish the house, said Mr. Bertram. He read a letter from the 'Health Inspector, Mr. W. j. Guinan, which said that a week's work would complete the new house. The Kingi family was a large one, there being 17 in the Oxford Street premises originaliy, b.ut there were now about four, they having been told by the coprt previousiy to reduce vhe ..number in residence. In reply to a question from the magjstrate, Mrs. Kingi said that finance prevented ihe house from being eomp:eted. "You'll have, to. dp something within 14 days," said Mr. McLachlan. "The house has a closing order pqt against it in any case. Why not see ypur member for Parliament. He bolds the key to this whole situation, or perhaps the local Maori welfare officer. I think if you set the right things in motion you'll find lots 'will be 'done for you. Tell them you will have to get out of the house in a fortnight." The magistrate added that it would surely be better for defendant to move to a new ho.use, even if she had" to .put up 'with a" few incbnveniences, rather than stay in one which was condemned.