Couple sell home after long-running dispute with city council

Husband and wife travel writers Stefan Huy and Bruni Gebauer-Huy have sold their beloved Sumner home for less than its RV after a long-running dispute with Christchurch City Council.

The German journalists spent over a decade negotiating to buy a vacant section next door to their Clifton Tce house to build a driveway.

But the council's decision to auction off the land was the final straw for the couple. They have now sold their home for $770,000. The property had an RV of $810,000.

They had wanted the driveway to run through the 1140sqm section to the house, which is only accessible by stairs.

​However, the city council owned the 1140sq m section overlooking the sea and recently sold it for $1.223 million - well above the RV of $37,000.

Stefan told OneRoof last month they could not make any unconditional bids for the vacant land because they are not citizens and do not live in New Zealand full-time.

New Zealand Sotheby International Realty agent Rod Cross sold the Huys’ property at auction.

“We had a fantastic auction. We had seven registered bidders and several more waiting in the wings. We surpassed the owners’ expectations,” he told OneRoof.co.nz.

“I think bidders spied an opportunity to add value to the property through renovation or adding their own touches,” he said.

Cross told OneRoof his buyer was not related to the people who bought Kinsey Tce section.

“If somebody had the money, that could have been a very interesting proposal.”

He said the sale was bittersweet for his clients.

“But they’re very happy with the result and it allows them to move on. Our job was to get a great price for them.”

Stefan told OneRoof he had tried everything to get a deal over the line with the council.

“We made offers that were well above market value [based on an independent valuation],” he said.

He added: “What the earthquake failed to do, the council has now achieved: We have to leave our home after 36 years.”

Councillors told the couple they had a responsibility under the Local Government Act to get the best price for ratepayers.

Stefan told OneRoof that the foreign buyer ban had hit the couple hard.

“We are travel writers and have specialised in New Zealand and the South Pacific for almost 40 years. We spend four to five months in New Zealand every year, but we also have to take on assignments in Europe to make a living in our profession.

“However, we are rarely in New Zealand for more than [the requisite] 183 days. Participating in the auction is problematic and impossible within the council’s current timeframe. After the decision, the council couldn’t sell 1 Kinsey fast enough.

“I don’t need to tell you how sad and disappointed we are about this, but we will continue to update our various NZ travel guide books and write reports about New Zealand for overseas markets, and we still have our caravan ... But of course, our enthusiasm has taken a blow.”