Two Wellington properties that were at the centre of legal rows are up for grabs.
Former property developer Lance Alexander James and partner Xiwei [Holly] Zhou were fined in 2019 for carrying out illegal earthworks at 77 Old Porirua Road, in Ngaio, and 120a Nicholson Road, in Khandallah.
Now seven years later, the lenders have stepped in and have listed the properties for sale.
James, who was convicted of tax evasion in 2010, owns 77 Old Porirua Road, while 120a Nicholson Road is owned by TMA Limited, whose sole director is listed as Lei Zhou.
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Wellington City Council laid charges against the pair over the unconsented earthworks after a neighbour complained, according to media reports in 2019.
The 316sqm blank section on Nicholson Road in being marketed as having "massive" sea views. Photo / Supplied
A property at 77 Old Porirua Road, which was also part of the court proceedings, is also being sold by the mortgagee for $1.095m. Photo / Supplied
The court found James and Xiwei Zhou guilty of breaching the Resource Management Act while carrying out earthworks at the Nicholson Road site. It ruled that the cuts were too high, were on an overly steep slope, and too close to the boundary.
A council spokesperson told OneRoof that an abatement notice had recently been issued at 120a Nicholson Road for the northern boundary and council would be monitoring it. The southern boundary for Nicholson Road, which was the focus of the previous enforcement action, had been suitably retained, it said.
Professionals agent Charles Lindsay is marketing the 315sqm section at 120a Nicholson Road, which has an RV of $470,000, for sale by mortgagee tender closing August 6. "The site offers tremendous views into the harbour and could be developed into either a single dwelling or a unit development," his listing said.
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Zhou and James were also found guilty and fined for breaching the council's rules when widening the driveway at 77 Old Porirua Road.
A Wellington City Council spokesperson confirmed there were no outstanding issues at Old Porirua Road property. “As part of the prosecution in 2019, the Court ordered the property owner to commission a geotechnical engineering report. The report was provided to Council and independently reviewed. That review confirmed that no further slope remediation was necessary as a result of the driveway earthworks."
Tommy's agent Edmund Chrisp has been looking for a new owner for the Old Porirua Road property on behalf of the mortgagee since February this year. It has an asking price of $1.095m. Chrisp was unable to comment on the sale, but his listing described the refurbished property as being configured into two three-bedroom homes on 4,046sqm of land.
A substantial home on Blairlogie-Langdale Road, in Masterton, also owned by James, was sold last month. Photo / Supplied
Meanwhile, another of James’ properties was sold in a mortgagee sale earlier this week. The five-bedroom, two-bathroom home on a 15.35ha section on Blairlogie-Langdale Road, in Blairlogie, Masterton, had an RV of $770,000 and was sold “as is, where is”.
Harcourts agent Rachel Hao, in her listing, said the “magnificent rural residence represents some of the best lifestyle living Wairarapa has to offer”.
It is not the first time one of James' properties has been subject to a mortgagee sale.
After being jailed for two years in 2010 for tax evasion of around $356,000, his Eastbourne home was sold at mortgagee sale for just over $1m. James was still in jail at the time, and the home was owned by his then wife, Irene.
OneRoof asked Zhou and James for comment on the sales of 120a Nicholson Road and 77 Old Porirua Road. It had not heard back at the time of publication.
The agents involved in the other mortgagee sales did not respond to OneRoof’s requests for comment.
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