Owner 'out of time' over rusting cars

A collection of about 17 rusting cars in a Mornington back yard has raised the ire of neighbours. Photo by Christine O'Connor.
A collection of about 17 rusting cars in a Mornington back yard has raised the ire of neighbours. Photo by Christine O'Connor.
A Mornington man who has a collection of rusting cars in his yard risks losing his house if he does not get rid of them.

Renfrew St resident Kevin Osborne's collection of about 17 vehicles has raised the ire of his neighbours and the Dunedin City Council, and the matter was aired in the Environment Court in Dunedin yesterday.

While neighbours think the cars are an eyesore, Mr Osborne told the Otago Daily Times he was being ''harassed'' by the council, and his neighbours should ''keep their noses in their own back yards''.

No decision was handed down yesterday, but Judge Jon Jackson gave a clear indication of what it might be.

Before Judge Jackson and commissioners Owen Borlase and John Mills, DCC counsel Jackie St John said neighbours had been complaining for six years about the vehicles on Mr Osborne's property.

The council had discussed the matter with him, but there had been no progress.

It was now applying for an enforcement order to remove the vehicles and parts.

Ms St John said while Mr Osborne claimed the number of cars on the property was decreasing, evidence showed the opposite.

Mr Osborne (64) intended to restore the vehicles and sell them for a profit to fund restoration of his home, which Ms St John said was in ''a state of disrepair''.

The council was seeking an order for the vehicles to be removed within 30 days and, if that did not happen, the authority to remove them itself.

Mr Osborne told the court restoration of vehicles was allowed under the council's district plan, and his work on them was ''a hobby, not a business''.

He had decreased the number of vehicles he owned, although more had come from another property he owned.

Judge Jackson told Mr Osborne he had run out of time, after testing the patience of both his neighbours and the council.

''I'm afraid you're really facing it now.''

Judge Jackson reserved his decision, but said if he understood the thoughts of his commissioners correctly, the result would be along the lines of what the council was asking for.

If Mr Osborne did not comply, the council could remove the cars, then claim costs against the home, and ''things will get very much out of your control'', the judge said.

Speaking from his home yesterday, Mr Osborne, who said he had been a car enthusiast all his life, reiterated it was his plan to restore the cars to pay for repairs on his home.

''The only way I can raise the money to do it up is with those cars.

''There is thousands of dollars tied in them and I can't afford to lose them.''

Asked how many cars he had, he said: ''Not a lot.''

He said not all his neighbours were against what he was doing and he had a simple message for those who were complaining.

''They should keep their noses in their own backyards.''

Neighbour Kereen Power, who went to the court proceedings, said the cars were a safety hazard and there were concerns they were attracting vermin, including rats.

Neighbours were also worried about their property values.

''If you go to sell and you are looking directly at that, not everyone wants to look at that.''

The cars began piling up in about 2009, a year after she moved to the area, and she had never seen Mr Osborne carry out any restoration work on them.

Despite the problem going on for so long, the dispute had never been ''rude or nasty''.

''At the end of the day, it's not against him personally.''

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