An illegal dwelling that offers cheap accommodation is facing closure by Christchurch City Council, The Press reports.
Dickens meets Ballard on the set of Steptoe and Son: http://t.co/oVXFGoNyHg. The double catastrophe of earthquakes and capitalism.
— The blurst of Toms (@badtom) February 1, 2015
Former car wrecker Craig Skilling has run the accommodation business, located on Raycroft St near AMI Stadium, for two years now and says that he houses people that “no-one else wants”. Tenants live on the premises in small caravans, huts and converted buses.
Council inspectors discovered breaches of the City Plan and the Building Act and Skilling said even though he knew he was not allowed to run the business he still did it anyway. With space for 20 people on his land he can potentially earn $2800 a week.
“I'm the one who is going to lose the most. I don't care where they go. These people don't care about me. I don't care about them. I'm providing a service,” he told the newspaper.
Rent costs tenants $140 a week plus $20 for power and Skilling said he was selective about who could stay and only let’s people in that he can control.
“I have no problems because I run it like a jail. The tenants ring the police on me. I have had the cops down here with guns to my head and everything.”
