Published tribunal order
Tenancy Tribunal case 9072584 — Tenancy dispute in Whitiora, Hamilton
Published 4 February 2026 · Application 9072584
Landlord favoured
- Costs
- Interest
- Ordinary Levy
- Unit Titles
Order
- Carmen Louise Wedel Friis must pay Body Corporate 378269 $10,656.32 immediately, calculated as follows: DescriptionsApplicantRespondent Ordinary Levies$6,762.50 Costs: Debt collection Fees 9036262$1,035.00 Costs: BC Management costs$230.00 Interest$1,278.82 Filing Fee: 9036262$850.00 Filing Fee$500.00 Total award$10,656.32 Total payable by Respondent to Applicant $10,656.32
Reasons
- The Body Corporate representative, Chevone Lourens, attended the hearing, set down to be conducted via video conference. There was no entry into the conference by either party. The representative answered when called. Three calls to the Owner were attempted but they were unsuccessful. There was no prior contact with the Registry by the Owner. I was satisfied adequate service had completed and I continued with the hearing after the call went unanswered.
- The body corporate has applied for recovery of unpaid levies, interest, costs and the filing fee from the unit owner.
- There was a prior order, 9036262 dated 22 September 2022 in favour of Body Corporate 378269 ($2,241.03). That order has been under enforcement action since 2023 and a time payment arrangement remains in place. The up-to-date Current Owner Account provided at the hearing includes accounting for the prior order components and subsequent payments/debt collection costs. These have been accounted for in this order, as well as the ongoing time payments, for a complete record as at today. There is $371.60 currently outstanding with the collection company.
Does the Unit Owner owe the levies claimed?
- A unit owner must pay all body corporate levies and outgoings payable for the unit. See sections 80(1)(f) and 121(1) Unit Titles Act 2010.
- The body corporate has determined the levies payable and unit owner's share has been calculated according to their utility interest.
- The body corporate has fixed the due date for the levies to be paid, and the unit owner has not paid the levies by that date. See section 124(1) Unit Titles Act 2010. The body corporate has provided records to prove the amount claimed. Time payments have been applied against the oldest outstanding levies.
Is the Unit owner liable for interest?
- If a unit owner fails to pay levies by the due date, interest accrues on the unpaid balance. A body corporate may charge interest up to 10% per annum. See section 128 Unit Titles Act 2010.
- The body corporate has resolved to charge interest at 10% per annum on unpaid levies. The Body Corporate has proved the amount of interest owing from the due date to the hearing date.
Is the Unit owner liable for costs?
- Pursuant to section 124 UTA, and as resolved at meetings of the Body Corporate, the Body Corporate is entitled to recover any reasonable costs incurred by it in collecting unpaid levies as a debt due by the owner to the Body Corporate. In accordance with the judgments (of the District Court and Court of Appeal respectively) in Body Corporate 162791 v Cheah DC Auckland, CIV2014-004- 0120, 24 June 2014 and Body Corporate 162791 v Gilbert [2015] NZCA 185, the Tribunal must order that the reasonable costs incurred by the Body Corporate in recovering the levies, objectively assessed, be paid by a defaulting unit owner. I am satisfied that the costs ordered above are reasonable.
- Because the body corporate has succeeded with the claim I have reimbursed the filing fee. Section 176(1) Unit Titles Act 2010 and section 102(4) Residential Tenancies Act 1986.