是房子
After heated bidding from at least five prospective buyers, an Asian man eventually bought the house for $597,000. The property sits on an 827sq m section and has a CV of $400,000.
Auckland Council commenced the sale process under the Local Government (Ratings) Act by going to the High Court after Ms Marsh had failed to pay any rates since August 6, 2010.
She currently owes more than $11,700. It is one of eight properties Auckland Council is seeking unpaid rates for through the High Court, totalling more than $300,000, but the first of the properties to have been sold outright by mortgagee sale.
The council plans to use proceeds from the sale to pay the outstanding rates bill, plus legal costs and court fees. Any balance would be returned to Ms Marsh.
The auction was halted this morning as council staff, legal counsel and a representative of the council's iwi liaison unit tried to broker a last-minute deal to save Ms Marsh's home of 20 years. But she refused and now faces being forcibly removed if necessary.
Though Ms Marsh, who is employed by KiwiRail, says she could afford to pay her outstanding rates bill, she has refused to acknowledge Auckland Council's authority and claims to have paid the rates to the "rightful land owner" - Arikinui o Tuhoe.
Arikinui o Tuhoe, who was also at the auction, told the Herald the sale process was unlawful. The land had been passed down through whakapapa and she now planned to take the matter to an iwi body and was considering a legal challenge.
"They tried to do a deal with Charlotte and the deal they said was if she paid her rates they'd forestay proceedings.
"It's now $15,000, this is what they think."
Arikinui o Tuhoe said she had registered a caveat over the property with the High Court which should have prevented the sale going ahead.
"I put a trespass notice over all the land.
"It's not about money. It's about the land and the people."
Ms Marsh said the forced sale of her home was "rubbish".
"What they have done is set themselves up for a massive fall.
"It went for $600,000 for a debt of $11,000 - that's obscene."
Ms Marsh said she refused to accept the last-minute deal because "it sounded under-handed - 'please pay your bill and we'll go away'".
She felt she was being used as a "test case".
Council general manager accounting services Sharmaine Naidoo said last week the council had sent four rates notices and around eight reminder letters to Ms Marsh each year, however they had all been returned.
"A notice of intention to sell the property under the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 was sent to the owner in August last year. After providing the owner with another opportunity to pay the rates, the High Court sent the owner a further letter on 21 May, 2015 advising of the council's intention to proceed with the sale."
Property records show Ms Marsh has owned the house since January 1995, when it was purchased for $137,000. She is also the listed co-owner of a 7.3ha property in Te Kuiti worth $209,000.
