The Block New Zealand House now 'rubble' due to failed business dealings

Here are pictures of what has become of a house renovated on The Block NZ, which fell into rack and ruin after a failed relocation.

Auckland woman and renowned tennis consultant Brenda Perry purchased the house in the North Shore suburb of Takapuna, in 2016, with the intention of moving it to land she owned on Waiheke Island. 

“It was where I wanted to have my final dwelling. My plan was to go to Waiheke, build a house but that is not what happened,” she said on Tuesday.

The house at 80 Anzac Street had been renovated by Taranaki couple Rhys Wineera and Ginny Death during the first season of the New Zealand edition of the hit TV show in 2012.

But it had now been reduced to “rubble“, Perry said. 

“When I look at it, I think what a waste. One of the reasons I bought is because I am not a DIY person. The house had a new everything,” she said.

“It is a great irony to me the house is now a pile of rubble.” 

Perry, who is a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, purchased the house from O’Neills Building Removals after seeing it on New Zealand website Trade Me. 

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The house was purported to be owned by O’Neills Building Removals. The land the house was on was owned by Auburn Developments Ltd.

Auburn contracted O’Neills in May 2016 to sell and remove two houses at 74 and 80 Anzac St in order to make space for the new development. 

Auburn had plans to build an apartment block on the site and needed to clear the four homes renovated on The Block NZ.

The contract Perry entered into with O’Neills Building Removals, and its owner Jeremy O’Neill, was for the house to be transported across Auckland harbour to the property on Waiheke Island, and for O’Neills to resite the house there. 

She paid the company half of the contract – $NZ89,000 ($84,000) – upfront with an agreement to pay a further $NZ89,000 once the house was moved. 

She was reassured the development would not kick off until her house had been moved. 

However, in October 2016, Perry discovered the development had started on Anzac St, and her newly purchased house was being damaged in the process.   

“When I saw the carport, which was part of the purchase, totally bowled over by a bulldozer I thought okay – this makes no sense’.” 

The damage to the property got worse, and in April 2017 the front deck was removed, there was water damage to the kitchen, the carport was demolished, the vanity in the ensuite was smashed on the floor, and lights were torn out of the ceiling. 

The house was eventually moved to a site in Ranui where it suffered even more damage due to the weather. 

While sitting at the site, water flooded into the master bedroom, kitchen and middle bedroom. Shortly after, the master bedroom ceiling collapsed, followed by the lounge ceiling and debris falling from the kitchen roof. 

“I have not been back to the Ranui site since February. I don’t want to go back. It is too depressing,” Perry said.

Following the ordeal, Perry took O’Neill and his business to court arguing she should be compensated for her loss of house.

Last month, Justice Christine Gordon awarded costs in Perry’s favour claiming she had been ‘blatantly’ misled. 

“I think it has been a tough battle. It has taken a lot of resolve and energy. I should be living in my new home now. I thought it was a simple solution,” Perry said. 

“I don’t understand why people would do this. I just hope some justice will be done.” 

In her decision, Justice Gordon found that O’Neill’s Building Removals, and Jeremy O’Neill had deceived Perry into thinking the company was the sole owner of the house. 

The company had also breached the contract formed between itself and Perry to protect the property prior to it being delivered to Waiheke, the judgment said.

Justice Gordon also found Auburn had breached the Fair Trading Act by deliberately deceiving Perry into thinking she was the sole owner of the house. 

In reality, Auburn had some security over it. 

“I consider that Auburn’s conduct, in combination, was misleading and/or deceptive,” she said.

“By its conduct and statements, it represented and/or confirmed that O’Neills and/or Mr O’Neill had full and unfettered authority to sell the house and enter into a contract with Ms Perry to move the house off the development site, and re-site it on another property as specified by her.” 

O’Neills Building Removals has since gone into liquidation. 

This story was first published on Stuff.co.nz