Social housing complex has tenants cars towed in Auckland lockdown

September 28, 2021

Advocates say taking their cars is a cruel blow to people already struggling during lockdown.

Residents at a social housing complex in Auckland are outraged after having their cars towed without notice while in lockdown.

Their housing provider, Compass Housing, which is Australian owned, said it had warned them several weeks ago about parking rules but advocates say taking their cars is a cruel blow to people already struggling.

One resident at the social housing complex in Glen Eden, who wishes to remain anonymous told 1News she woke up to see her car and two others towed.

“The receipt said 16 minutes past midnight, so they came at early hours of the morning didn’t even give anybody a chance to move their cars,” she said.

She then received a text saying she would have to collect her car from Supercity Towing in Auckland City, with a cost to retrieve it of $320, plus $30 for each day it wasn't picked up.

“We weren’t expecting to be towed in Level 4 lockdown because we’re all at home.

“A cost of $320 to families who can barely afford to put food on their tables is just so unnecessary and unethical and Compass Housing was very unsympathetic to the fact we're in Level 4 lockdown, struggling,” she said.

Darryl Evans from Mangere Budgeting Services agrees this move was unethical.

“At the end of the day the reason these families are in social housing the vast majority are considered vulnerable and $350 is a massive slap on the wallet,” he says.

Police told 1News that tow truck companies can operate in Level 4 if there’s an obstruction, or if vehicles are parked unsafely or over driveways.

The resident says, “the towing company were very sympathetic. Everybody had access in and out, we've never had any issues with being blocked in. There is no reason why our cars should have been towed."

Advocates say taking their cars is a cruel blow to people already struggling during lockdown.

She says residents usually park on the street but due to lockdown everyone’s at home and therefore street parking is nearly impossible to come by.

“The closest park now would be a couple hundred metres plus a long driveway to walk,” she says.

Compass Housing, said residents were warned not to park here before lockdown. It told 1News the space is a designated pick up drop off zone with two disability parks, despite the housing complex not yet having accessible units.

The organisation also said it would send a final warning text before cars are towed in the future.

One resident said she had to break her bubble in order to get her car out and didn’t have the money, which meant she had to get help there too.

Darryl Evans says, “the average family of four tell us they have $39 a week leftover to put food on the table... you know pick up the phone, communicate with your tenants... and be kind to them, towing them is not particularly a good look I don’t think”.

While the Government’s looking into why this happened, Mangere Budgeting Service is asking for greater compassion through lockdown.

SHARE ME

More Stories