SIMON O’CONNOR/Stuff
Aragorn Cavanagh, 18, left, with the help of Ricki Conwell, right, took Egmont Eco Leisure Park owner Gary Ogle to the Tenancy Tribunal to get his un-lodged bond money back.
A New Plymouth accommodation provider has been ordered to pay a former boarder more than $1400 for failing to lodge his $500 bond or return the money after kicking him out.
Gary Ogle, owner of Egmont Eco Leisure Park in Clawton St, was taken to the Tenancy Tribunal by 18-year-old Aragorn Cavanagh on May 6.
Ogle was ordered to pay Cavanagh $1454.01 immediately, which included an $850 non-lodgement of bond fee, the return of the $500 bond, $83.57 of overpaid rent, and a $20.44 filing fee reimbursement.
The tenancy tribunal findings, dated May 27, state Ogle did not lodge the bond and refused to return it to Cavanagh as he believed the teen’s tenancy was not covered by the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA).
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Ogle, who attended the hearing by teleconference, believed the bond was merely a ‘security deposit’ he was entitled to keep.
The hearing ruled Cavanagh, who was considered a tenant, was at risk of Ogle keeping the bond had he not gone before the tribunal.
On Tuesday more than a week on from the ruling’s release, Cavanagh said he was still waiting for the money from Ogle.
When called, Ogle to discuss the hearing, Ogle said “no comment” before hanging up.
Cavanagh had been using the lodge as Ministry of Social Development (MSD) emergency housing since October 13, 2020.
The ruling states Cavanagh’s tenancy was terminated, and he was trespassed on December 19 for breaching house rules around drunkenness, drug use and unruly behaviour.
It also states he had invited a guest on to the premises after being warned not to, and despite the guest having been previously trespassed from the lodge.
Cavanagh denies he ever breached the rules or invited Ricki Conwell, the trespassed guest, on to the property.
Conwell has been supporting Cavanagh through the tribunal case.
Supplied
The Clawton St lodge has been used by the Ministry of Social Development emergency housing since 2016.
Being evicted meant Cavanagh was ‘blacklisted’ from MSD emergency housing and spent one month sleeping rough in a car along with Conwell and another evictee.
The trio spent Christmas together at New Plymouth’s Braemar Motor Inn, before moving to the Beach St men’s shelter.
Last Thursday, Cavanagh was taken off the blacklist following the hearing and is now staying at the Pacific International Hotel Management School (Pihms) and has secured a job after graduating with a level 3 certificate in food and beverage.
