A TENEMENT CASE.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 June 1920, Page 5

A TENEMENT CASE.

ORDER FOR POSSESSION GRANTED At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., Ann Goodwin (Mr. C. H. Weston) claimed from Dolores Elfine Berge, possession of a tenement owned by the plaintiff and occupied by the defendant, and also £7 8s arrears of rent. Mr..Weston said the plaintiff was at present living in Pungarehu, and desired to come to live in New Plymouth. She wa9 being constantly pressed by the owner of the house to give up possession, because he wanted to pull it down to use the timber for building pig-sties The defendant was a married woman with a family of nine children, but her husband was working at Rahotu, where a house was provided for him. Plaintiff, in evidence, said she wanted to come to New Plymouth to live so as to be near her daughter-in-law and her five children. Her daughter-in-law ami family would not be living with her, but she wished to be near her. Plaintiff proposed to keep boarders in order to make a living, because if she did not do this she would have to go out to work. The Magistrate: What is your hus-. band's occupation ? Plaintiff replied that he was a farmer, but was not working now, as he was 0!) years of age. The owner of the house she was living in wanted to demolish it and use the timber for building piggeries. She had given four months' notice to defendant to get out, but Mrs. Berge had replied that she wouldn't be put out 011 the street- Mrs. Berge's husband was at Rahotu, and was a baker by occupation. He was the sole occupant of a house of four rooms, with a scullery in addition. Defendant said she had tried every way possible to get a house, but without success. The "bach" at Rahotu was not big enough for her to live in, and hev husband would be coming in to New Plymouth to live very shortly. She had nine children, and couldn't possibly live in a house of less than five rooms. She had tried every way to get a house. She did not want, to keep Mrs. Goodin out of her own home, but she had to have somewhere to live. j Tho Magistrate: Why don't you live at Rahotu? Defendant: My husband will be coming in to New Plymouth as soon as he can get a job here. Defendant added that it would be very hard if she had to tuki the three eldest children away from their work. The Magistrate: Couldn't they get board? Defendant: They are not earning enough to pay board, and besides they have, to be clothed. The eldest, boy was 13 years of age. To Mr. Weston: She hadn't refused any house which was offered to her. During all the rough weather last week she had been out looking for" J a house, but could not find one.

The Magistrate made an order for possession to be given up within four weeks. Judgment for the amount of the arrears of rent, £7 Bs, was given for the plaintiff, costs being allowed against the defendant.