A New Plymouth couple whose sea views were blocked out in a neighbourhood dispute are selling their home in disgust.
Roy and Marilynn Bridger told Fair Go, they are reluctantly putting their home on the market after their neighbour Valdimar Einarsson erected a fence ruining their sea views.
The two parties have been in dispute for years. Mr Einarsson claims the Bridger's dropped kitty litter and garden waste onto his land. He also alleges they have been abusive. The Bridger's deny this.
"It’s been nearly 27 years and we’ve really enjoyed it but having that done to you has just spoilt it," says Marilynn Bridger as she looks out at her neighbour's fence where previously there were views of the Tasman Sea.
"We’ve decided to sell up and move on. Partly because of the fence and partly because of health issues."
Marilynn Bridger told Fair Go she has terminal cancer and wants to spend her remaining time in another house.
Mr Einarsson told Fair Go last July he was sick of the treatment he got from the Bridger's so decided to build a fence.
"They've lost their view and they aren't going to get it back and that's the end of it."
New Plymouth District Council Chief Operations Officer Kelvin Wright says they have tried to mediate between the two parties but have been unable to establish an original ground line so can't accurately measure the height of the fence.
Mr Wright says the council did get a second opinion on the ground line and considered the Environment Court as remedies.
"NPDC has invested time and resource to try to help the neighbours reach a solution but would only be able to go to the Environment Court if there was evidence that either the Resource Management Act or the District Plan rules had been broken."
The Bridger's say there is some interest in the property. They hope to move to a house on the flat.
"We’ll move on and enjoy life somewhere else," says Roy Bridger.
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