Tenant pretended to be landlord, taking almost $800 week from couple

NZ Herald

25-05-2025

The new tenant told the tribunal he had paid $780 per week to Spriggs-Admore, believing she was the landlord. He noted Spriggs-Admore had introduced herself as the property owner and failed to provide a tenancy agreement.
He told the tribunal when he moved in with two of his children Spriggs-Admore's belongings had been removed from the house.
A few weeks later his partner moved in with her child and six dogs. She paid half the rent to her partner, who would forward the funds to Spriggs-Admore.
His partner told the tribunal she had no idea who the landlord was until Spriggs-Admore turned up one day and introduced herself as the landlord.
She said that when she requested a tenancy agreement, she was told it would be provided 'later' but never eventuated.
The woman also told the tribunal about an experience where a gang member turned up one night demanding rent from her and her partner.
The real landlord did not discover until February 2025 that Spriggs-Admore had moved out and had been subletting the property.
They then filed to the tribunal for rent arrears and termination of tenancy.
Spriggs-Admore filed her own application seeking a full refund of rent, claiming the property was unlawful and the landlord had breached her quiet enjoyment.
Her basis for her claim was the address of the property did not exist because an internet company could not connect the fibre connection.
The tribunal hearing held in April reportedly got so heated, court security staff were called, and tribunal adjudicator Mark Manhire was critical of Spriggs-Admore's claims.
'It is incumbent on a tenant to bring claims to the tribunal promptly. Not to wait – and then package all complaints up with a shopping list of details.
'I found the state of the tenant's evidence frankly hard to follow and all over the place. There was a voluminous amount of it, and little attempt on the part of the tenant to properly organise it. It was not chronologically sequenced and bounced around.
'A significant portion of her evidence was also filed moments prior to today's hearing. It is my view that the tenant must bear ultimate responsibility for the events leading up to today's hearing. It is the tenant who decided take action and move out of the premises in December last year without consulting with the landlord.'
The adjudicator ordered immediate possession be granted to the real landlord, the sub-tenants who were still living at the address vacate the property and $3870 be paid by Spriggs-Admore in rent arrears.
Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.