Michael Naera, 54, said they had lodged an unsecured creditor\u2019s claim with the liquidators but believed it was unlikely they would get any money back.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an absolute horror story,\u201d he told the Rotorua Daily Post.<\/p>\n
CB Built managing director Callum Benn said the reasons for work stopping were \u201ccomplex\u201d and \u201cnot accurately reflected by a simple characterisation that the project was abandoned\u201d.<\/p>\n
Many matters remained disputed and were the subject of legal correspondence between the parties, and it would be inappropriate to discuss the allegations publicly, Benn said.<\/p>\n
Naera said he and Frances bought the home 13 years ago. They live with their 19-year-old granddaughter, Kataraina Cudby, and their 38-year-old son, who lives in a cabin on the property.<\/p>\n
The plan was to renovate upstairs first while the trio lived downstairs. Once upstairs was completed, downstairs would be renovated, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy wife and I have worked really, really hard over the years. She\u2019s a schoolteacher, and I work in health, and we wanted to futureproof the home for our family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naera said the couple signed a $792,000 contract with Tauranga company CB Built for work to begin in January 2025.<\/p>\n
Rotorua father Michael Naera and his granddaughter Kataraina Cudby, 19, at their home on which renovations have been left unfinished by a Tauranga building company. Photo \/ Megan Wilson<\/p>\n
The \u201cfirst alarm bell\u201d rang when the builder\u2019s foreman was on site for a month by himself to do the upstairs demolition, Naera said.<\/p>\n
Then, when two builders and an apprentice joined the foreman on site, they \u201ccouldn\u2019t do much because they were waiting on suppliers\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
Naera claimed the builders did \u201cvariations\u201d the couple did not sign off on, including removing and replacing Gib, and roof and ceiling alterations.<\/p>\n
Disputes arose between the parties over various elements of the project and the relationship deteriorated.<\/p>\n
Naera said work stopped in July: \u201cWe basically went into a meltdown.\u201d <\/p>\n
They engaged a lawyer in August\/September. Discussions about remediation followed.<\/p>\n
Renovations on Michael Naera’s home have been left unfinished. Photo \/ Megan Wilson<\/p>\n
On April 17, the Naeras\u2019 lawyer gave CB Built 30 days to remediate everything. <\/p>\n
\u201c[They] didn\u2019t come back to the site.\u201d<\/p>\n
On May 11, the company went into liquidation.<\/p>\n
Naera said his architect\u2019s audit showed there was an estimated $401,000 worth of work remaining.<\/p>\n
He said his architect had donated \u201chours\u201d of time, and other builders had also offered to help them or donate their time and materials. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of kind people out there … That gives us hope.\u201d <\/p>\n
Other offers of support could be directed to Naera\u2019s wh\u0101nau friend Di Koti: diane.koti@gmail.com <\/p>\n
Living in \u2018freezing\u2019 and leaky conditions <\/p>\n
The Naeras and Cudby moved downstairs in January 2025 when renovations began upstairs. Naera described the conditions as \u201cbasically unliveable\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s cold, it\u2019s freezing, we\u2019re using so much power on heaters.\u201d<\/p>\n
They converted their carport into a bedroom. Meanwhile, they \u201ckept getting flooded\u201d downstairs as the building paper on walls upstairs was only waterproof for a month, he said.<\/p>\n
Rotorua father Michael Naera has been living in the downstairs area of his home which he says is “basically unliveable”. Photo \/ Megan Wilson<\/p>\n
CB Built had put black polythene on the walls earlier this year to combat the leaks, which had now started to \u201ccome away\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said work could not continue because of defects and the council needed to sign off on the property again before the renovations could be completed.<\/p>\n
A Rotorua Lakes Council spokesperson confirmed a building consent was granted for the property in 2024 and \u201csubsequent routine inspections failed and were non-compliant with the consent\u201d.<\/p>\n
Once a building consent had been granted, routine inspections were done throughout the building process. Gaining a code of compliance certificate at the end of the building process relied on passing inspections, the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
The council was still in the inspection process.<\/p>\n
Michael and Frances Naera’s Rotorua home before renovations began. The carport has been converted into a temporary bedroom.<\/p>\n
Christine Cudby, Naera\u2019s daughter, said she and her three children were planning to move downstairs once it had been renovated.<\/p>\n
The 39-year-old teacher aide said the four were living in a tent in a shed on her parents\u2019 land for six months last year while waiting for the downstairs renovations to be completed.<\/p>\n
They moved into a rental in September, two months after renovations stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince moving, I\u2019ve had to withdraw my KiwiSaver because I was really struggling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cudby said she should be living and paying rent at her parents\u2019 house.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a lot of money to pay … and to not even have a house that you can live in is f***ed.\u201d<\/p>\n