“property rights”?

Posted on February 15, 2012 by KG

There’s no such thing. It’s yours until a bureaucrat decides otherwise.

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20 Responses to “property rights”?

  1. jonno1 says:
    February 15, 2012 at 06:13

    I guess we all know about fee simple and the Public Works Act 1981 (eg as used for road widening, or [potentially] for the Waikat0 400 kV Transpower line). But in those circumstances there is discussion and very reasonable compensation. Transpower has since onsold many of the farms they purchased at a considerable loss, not because of the power line but due to the unfortunate timing of purchase and sale vis a vis the GFC. I think some farmers even bought their own land back at a lower price! Certainly some residents and non-resident activists will always get excited, eg with the Waterview motorway extension, but money usually talks in the end.

    But I digress. As reported this event sounds totally bizarre as there was (apparently) no consultation and no compensation. What the…?

    There are other bizarre situaions such as that of friends of mine who own an inherited “heritage” house on the fringe of central Auckland. Now it is genuinely of historic importance, and they appreciate that fact, but they can’t even modernise the interior beyond a very limited level, put proper garage doors on the “stables” etc.

    On the other hand the alleged heritage houses in St Heliers got bowled. I have several friends in St Heliers who were very pleased to see them go! So the council got that one right. The activists still got involved (but didn’t want to buy out the developer, surprise, surprise). I have friends (also in St Heliers) who some years ago bought a vacant section in front of them simply to protect their view (a very wise investment on their part as it turned out), so it can be done if you’re prepared to put your money where your mouth is. I was in a similar situation a few years back but decided the $500k land cost was a bit much. Now the land alone is worth nearly $900k – darn! But I have very nice new neighbours.

  2. Carol-Christian Soldier says:
    February 15, 2012 at 06:53

    Life – Liberty – PROPERTY- was the first wording of our Declaration-
    Wish it had stayed that way-BTW-

    Does NZ – have a similar Declaration…?

    our govt in the US is also ignoring the declared right of private property—

    Are we freedom lovers going to wake up soon-!
    C-CS

  3. WAKE UP says:
    February 15, 2012 at 07:46

    I live in central Auckland, and had an unnannounced visit from a Council employee who told me blithely that some ANONYMOUS person (wouldn’t tell me who) had noticed the tall palm tree that graces our backyard, FROM THE ROAD (i.e could just see the top of it over our rooftop) and was “concerned” enough about its existence to inform the council of it – presumably in case we planned to remove it (we’ve only been living here, with that tree, for 15 years FFS!).
    The Council busybody was much relieved when I told him we actually like the tree, but that didn’t stop me from also telling him (a) it was NONE OF HIS BUSINESS; (b) fuck off; and (c) if he or his anonymous “informant” came anywhere near us again, it wouldn’t be the tree that would be kneecapped, it’d be them :evil: .

    Sheesh !

    • Kris K says:
      February 15, 2012 at 08:35

      You’re a hard man, Wakey ;)

    • Octagongrappler says:
      February 15, 2012 at 08:45

      :grin: Good stuff.

      I also live in Auckland Central, But the horrible council is made up for by a great sprinkling of tolerance and diversity….

    • WAKE UP says:
      February 15, 2012 at 09:13

      I reserve the right for “tolerance” and “diversity” to stop at my gate if I say so :lol:

    • jonno1 says:
      February 15, 2012 at 10:44

      I have a couple of pin oaks over-arching my driveway. They’re absolutely beautiful at this time of year, and again for a couple of months in winter when completely bare (but not when shedding their leaves, grrrh). Anyway, they must be >12 m high now and are costly to maintain, but council has permitted raising the canopy and culling every second branch to slow their growth, so that’s all good. With hindsight they were the wrong species for the situation, but I wouldn’t change them now.
      Your story is interesting Wake Up, as my experience is that neighbours sometimes want trees trimmed on your property because they interfere with their view!

      • KG says:
        February 15, 2012 at 10:52

        Whatever, jonno, I reckon it’s none of the council’s damn business. Period. :evil:

      • WAKE UP says:
        February 15, 2012 at 12:12

        The tree I refer to does not obstruct anyone’s view of anything.
        —————
        But in any case, that has nothing to do with my point, which was that somebody walking down the street decide to make my life his business, AT THE COUNCIL’S BEHEST (which worked for Hitler).

        • jonno1 says:
          February 15, 2012 at 13:19

          Agreed Wake Up, I did get your point, it happens all the time, at least in jafaland.
          Slightly different context, but my son who is a builder/drainlayer with a dozen or so staff is constantly having to deal with council officers (officials!). To his credit he has managed to form good working relationships with the regulars who know he doesn’t cut corners (good upbringing, huh?). I guess building inspectors meet all sorts of dodgy characters – that doesn’t justify the tree nazis though (whoops, Godwinned the thread, sorry).
          BTW that’s you,me & the Octagongrappler (at least) in Auckland Central – maybe drinkies would be in order some time.

  4. PeterPumkinhead says:
    February 15, 2012 at 07:50

    Time to look at a trespass order on these parasites…

  5. mawm says:
    February 15, 2012 at 11:25

    I’m one of those 3600 affected Coromandel property owners.

    I have a very humble and old bach on a fantastic site – grand views, privacy, some native bush (contaminated with invasive alien plants) and Tui’s, etc. The bach needs to be upgraded/replaced so that I can retire into a warm house. We are well along the process of drawing up plans and getting costings……………………..and have probably decided not to go ahead because of the restrictive building code and the Thames Coromandel District Councils rediculous policies with regards to the ‘natural features’ crap, trees (pohutukawa’s grow like weeds), their storm water policies and in general their costs for every blinking consent/inspection issue…….. we even have to get consent (for which we will have to pay for both the paper work and the site visit(s) ) to demolish the old building which would probably be condemed in any other country. :evil:

    Added to this is that they think I’m a rich prick and I have to pay at a far higher rate ($150/h for a bureaucrat’s time?) because the estimated build cost exceeds $500G – try building for less with a code that demands double glazed windows, massive water-holding tanks to slow the flow of water from the roof, etc.

    One day there will be nobody who is prepared to pay for any of this, or even their over-priced rates. :roll:

    • KG says:
      February 15, 2012 at 15:56

      $150/hr????????? WTF!!! :shock:

      • Darin says:
        February 16, 2012 at 00:18

        Good God man,your living amongst insane people.Seems the largest number of insane people on Earth surround anything having to do with plants and trees.
        Some idiot started a “native species preservation” movement here local to me.”native species” turns out to be a new name for the same old f–king weeds.They were shocked,shocked I tell you when I told them tales of my youth chopping down and burning all sorts of “native species”.Even more so that since my decent into old age I have switched from brush axe to liquid axe :twisted:
        So the plant loons build this museum(Arboretum),which is a monument to local weeds and bushes,they get tax money to staff and maintain it,they charge admission for tourists(the stupid ones anyway) to walk through and look at it.The smart ones just look in the ditches as they drive past and see the same weeds for free.

        Oh and nearly everything there is “endangered”,ya,so much so it grows in every ditch,vacant lot or cut over timber in the county :roll:

  6. mawm says:
    February 16, 2012 at 05:27

    We have political parties who’s raison d’etre is allegedly preserving all the ‘weeds’; but in reality want to control people, and who worship Stalin, Pol Pot, Kim Jong Il and Gaia. They have no problem with growing a certain invasive alien to smoke for its mind altering effects. :roll:

    I have concluded that they also run City Councils and do building inspection.