It’s not his house

Stuff reports:

Plans to buy up property in rural Marlborough to make way for a hydroelectric scheme have hit a road block, with one man refusing to leave his home.

It’s not his home. He was renting it and the rental agreement has expired.

Wairau Valley man Kieran Venning said he had no intention of leaving his rented property, about 40 kilometres west of Blenheim, despite being served an eviction notice.

Power company TrustPower tried to remove Venning on Friday by sending a bailiff round to his house, but he locked the doors and told the bailiff he was trespassing.

Actually Venning is trespassing.

TrustPower community relations manager Graeme Purches said the company bought the property Venning lived on along with several others in preparation for the scheme.

So it is Trustpower’s house.

Purches rented the house to Venning on a periodic tenancy agreement, he said.

When Venning did not leave after 42 days’ notice, Purches went to the Tenancy Tribunal to have him evicted.

“We’ve tried all the reasonable approaches with this guy. We’ve been dealing with this guy for over two months,” Purches said. 

Rural constable Beau Webster, of Blenheim, said he accompanied the bailiff on Friday to “avoid animosity”.

Venning told Webster he had lodged an injunction in court to stop his landlord evicting him.

A court officer had no record of the injunction, Webster said.

So he is a liar also.

Venning said he had lived in Marlborough since November 2011. 

The Wairau Valley was already being “desecrated” by vineyards and he wanted to stop further destruction, he said. 

“The eco-system and the environment can’t sustain or withstand it.” 

Those desecrating vineyards provide jobs to thousands of people. Also some pretty good wines.