A multi-million-dollar home with connections to a couple allegedly at the centre of a “criminal enterprise” has been listed as a mortgagee sale.
The boarded-up eight-bedroom property at 83 Hatton Street, in Karori, Wellington, is owned by a company whose sole director was arrested by police in 2022 over $1 million worth of seized goods.
The property, which has an RV of $3.41m, was listed last week with Bayleys agents Mitch Agnew and Madi Cowan. Their listing describes the 1950s-built weatherboard home, which sits on a 2333sqm section, as a possible renovation project.
The agents make clear that viewings are by appointment only. “Please do not visit the property without prior arrangement,” the listing on OneRoof said.
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Police told OneRoof that the property had been “restrained” under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act on November 25, 2022, as part of Operation Trump Card.
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A spokesman said the operation was still before the courts.
The New Zealand Herald reported in December 2022 that Helen Eng and her husband Chin Soon, 63, were arrested as part of Operation Trump Card. They were accused of being involved in a major theft ring in Wellington.
Police said they had recovered 298 bicycles, 950 power tools, 695 pieces of tapware and mixes, two baths, and a bonsai tree as part of the operation.
The Herald reported that the couple had a property portfolio worth about $20m. They both remain on bail.
The tennis court is overgrown and in need of serious repair. Photo / Supplied
The tiny cottage on the grounds is, like the main residence, boarded-up. Photo / Supplied
83 Hatton Street had been listed for sale on November 3, 2022, but was withdrawn a month later following a restraining order. The listing agent, First National’s William Yip, told the Herald at the time: “We’ve complied with all instructions in accordance with the order issued by the police via the court.”
OneRoof records show the property was again listed for sale with Yip in June 2023 and withdrawn at the start of this month. Yip’s listing had pitched the property as a development opportunity, and included plans for seven townhouses on the site.
Agnew said he didn’t know too much about the property’s history. Bayleys was appointed by solicitors to sell the property on behalf of the bank, he said. “It’s my job to sell it and I don’t know too much about the back story.”
He told OneRoof that he believed people had been housed at the property, noting that the garage appeared to have been converted into living space.
What the house looked like in 2016. Photo / Supplied
The property last sold in 2016, for $1.84m. “It is so sad to see it now. It was a fantastic home," Agnew said.
The agent had recently taken his colleague, Ann Curtis, who had the listing for the property in 2016, on a walkthrough of the property. "She was blown away at what it looks like now,” he said, adding that all the copper spouting had been removed.
Photos of the property on OneRoof show boarded-up windows and doors, and the astro-turf tennis court in a poor state. There are no pictures of the inside of the house, although photos from the 2016 listing show that the interiors were well kept although dated.
Agnew told OneRoof that he had received enquiries from builders looking for a project.
The home, once known as The Lodge, was said in previous news reports to have VIP status. At one time it was owned by developer and philanthropist Sir Arthur Williams and former Reserve Bank governor Sir Spencer Russell.
- 83 Hatton Street, in Karori, Wellington, goes to auction on July 11
