As they wrangle over the future of the eyesore, an arsonist tried to burn it down early yesterday. The Greymouth Volunteer Fire Brigade was called to the High St house at 5.30am when a passing motorist saw flames. The brigade had it under control quickly.
Detective Sergeant Gavin Nichols, of the Greymouth CIB, said it was being treated as suspicious and fire safety officers from Christchurch would be on site today to investigate.
''If the person responsible was a sympathiser [to crash victim Judd Hall] their actions were foolish and someone else could have easily lost their life. The loss of another life is not what we want. Who would that help?'' Det Sgt Nichols said.
Owners Karen Stuart and Chris Cochrane, of Queenstown, told the Greymouth Star they were still battling Tower Insurance over the future of the property where Mr Hall died on January 24, after the car in which he was a passenger careered off the road and slammed into the front of the house, shunting it off its piles. The driver, Jordan McGrath, was impaled by a piece of wood.
He has been charged with the manslaughter of Mr Judd.
''It is very upsetting and we want the house taken down. We hate that it is still there,'' Ms Stuart said this week.
"We feel for the family and understand the hurt Judd Hall's mother must be feeling each time she sees the house.''
Jo Hall, Judd's mother, said last month her heartache was with her daily because she worked opposite the house on State Highway 6 where her son died.
Ms Hall yesterday pleaded to whomever had tried to burn the house down to ''leave be''.
Mr Cochrane said they were at a ''stalemate'' with Tower.
Tower Insurance head of corporate communications Tracey Palmer said the company appreciated the sensitivity of the situation and was ''committed to achieving a satisfactory outcome''.
- Greymouth Star
