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Evicted After Abuse

Evicted After Abuse

A tenant who threatened to kill a Wellington City Council housing employee has had her Paparangi tenancy terminated by the tribunal.

By: NZ PROPERTY INVESTOR

1 November 2021

During a conversation with the employee name Selvam got frustrated and said, “You are useless, you have done nothing to help me! I’m gonna f***ing kill you.”

The council employee giving evidence to the tribunal said she was intimidated by Selvam and considered the threat had substance as Selvam and her gang affiliates presented a risk.

In an earlier hearing, Selvam acknowledged that she had been abusive but denied threatening to kill the employee.

Selvam told the tribunal she was staying off alcohol and drugs, and was taking steps to turn her life around.

The council, who is her landlord, told the tribunal it had concerns regarding Selvam’s behaviour which it said had been ongoing since the beginning of the tenancy.

Employees had been working with her, her probation officer and her support worker to assist her to continue in the tenancy.

However, it had now got to a stage where it believed it was no longer tenable. It provided documentary evidence of this extensive support.

The tribunal said it can terminate a tenancy if the tenant has threatened to assault an agent of the landlord. Although Selvam denied making the threat, adjudicator K Lash said “In the absence of any acknowledgement from her regarding the threat specifically, I cannot be certain she will not behave in such a threatening manner again.
“I also find concerning the repeated assurances she has made towards the council regarding her anti-social behaviour improving; refusing her ex-partner entry and ceasing her alcohol abuse and her extensive interactions with her support organisations to little or no end speak to her lack of inclination to change her circumstances.”

Accepting the council had worked hard to assist Selvam to continue the tenancy but that her concerning behaviour continued, the tribunal made an order terminating the tenancy immediately.

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