Haven Living, a property management firm in Auckland, is facing a new attempt at liquidation as two apartment complexes—the Unicentre student accommodation and another building in the central business district—seek to reclaim unpaid rental income.
This follows a previous liquidation petition from the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) last year, which Haven Living successfully resisted concerning a tax obligation of $1.5 million.
Chair Glen Sycamore stated that Unicentre’s body corporate, which was involved in the IRD’s prior liquidation bid, is owed $100,000. Furthermore, Sycamore noted that Unicentre landlords are collectively owed an additional $200,000 in unpaid rental income and are contemplating independent legal action against the property manager.
The body corporate of the CBD apartment building is also owed a substantial amount. President of the Body Corporate Chairs’ Group, Tim Jones, said the committee is struggling to accurately assess its true financial situation.
“The lawyers are having to make an application to try and get the information from the bank because it appears the account may well be controlled by the building management company,” Jones said.
The new liquidation application for Haven Living is scheduled to be heard by the Auckland High Court on March 12. Haven Living stated that it is working to resolve both outstanding issues before the court date; however, if resolution is not achievable, it will respond during the court proceedings.
It also said the issue with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has been fully resolved.
According to separate reports, Haven Living Management has also not paid rental income to other several landlords.
Pukekohe homeowner Alia Fong reported that Haven Living Management failed to pay her any rental income for five months, from July to November, despite continuing to collect payments from her tenants. However, she and her partner did receive receipts indicating that money had been transferred into their bank account.
In a conversation with the Herald, the company said this happened after it adopted a new “management system” months ago that caused “administration issues.”.
Trevor Wharton, a New Zealander residing in the United States, reported that he is also owed $14,000 in rent from his tenants, which has not been forwarded to him. These payments were supposed to be made between June and December 2024, but he has been unable to reach company director Alex Hitchcock despite multiple attempts.
Haven Living said it has repaid all rental income owed to Alia Fong and is currently in the process of reimbursing other landlords.