He was given an extension of time to lodge any submissions. None arrived by this week\u2019s deadline, and the appeal was dismissed.<\/p>\n
Nick Ferrier told NZME via his lawyer, Callum Osborne, that it had been a very difficult situation and not something the owners took lightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWarwick House<\/a> has operated for a number of years as a community-style boarding house. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is important that residents, many of whom live alone, feel safe and comfortable in their own home.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter receiving serious complaints from residents very shortly after Mr Gillespie moved in, we formed the view that we needed to act to protect the safety of the other occupants.\u201d<\/p>\n Complaints started within 2 days <\/p>\n Within 48 hours of Gillespie moving into the landmark property earlier this year, the Ferriers started getting complaints.<\/p>\n The tenants\u2019 concerns escalated to the point at which they asked for additional locks on their rooms. <\/p>\n One claimed to have been blocked in the laundry and prevented from leaving, which made her afraid, according to the tribunal\u2019s decision in May, granting possession to the Ferriers.<\/p>\n They said another complaint was over Gillespie\u2019s threat to kill cats at the premises, which caused \u201cserious disruption\u201d to other tenants who reported they felt unsafe and unable to comfortably occupy the premises, including their own rooms.<\/p>\n One of the tenants clarified that Gillespie asked if she wanted him to \u201cbreak the leg of the cat or cut its throat\u201d. <\/p>\n \u201cThis left her shocked and so uncomfortable that she asked the landlord for another lock on her room,\u201d tribunal adjudicator Ashley Macpherson said.<\/p>\n She said the landlords passed the tenants\u2019 complaints to police<\/a> when they became aware of other alleged incidents, and let Gillespie know. <\/p>\n Notice issued<\/p>\n Gillespie was given notice on April 13, when Nick Ferrier also mentioned his lawyer.<\/p>\n Gillespie said he posed no threat to anyone and that the use of lawyers was \u201cnever a way to settle misunderstandings, as hidden enemies use knives\u201d.<\/p>\n He denied blocking the tenant in the laundry or saying anything about killing cats. <\/p>\n Instead, he claimed both tenants had \u201cconcocted a story to get rid of him\u201d, Macpherson said.<\/p>\n Gillespie said his reference to knives was maybe \u201coff\u201d, but everything has been \u201cstretched out of all proportion\u201d.<\/p>\n The Ferriers then received a further complaint from a tenant who claimed that Gillespie approached her while she was sitting at an outside table and intimidated her by banging a closed fist on the table and implying that she was a \u201ctroublemaker\u201d.<\/p>\n The Ferriers said in their claim that Gillespie was $1602 behind in rent. Gillespie was ordered to pay $1430, less $200 bond. <\/p>\nThe owners of Warwick House started getting complaints about tenant Ian Gillespie within 48 hours of his arrival at the landmark historic property in central Nelson. Photo \/ Tracy Neal<\/p>\n