stuff.co.nz – Gran demanding mandatory methamphetamine testing of houses
7 June 2016 – Author: Leighton Keith – Source: Stuff.co.nz
A grandmother who discovered her New Plymouth home was contaminated with methamphetamine wants testing for the drug to be made mandatory when properties change hands.
Kerryanne Hopkins bought her two bedroom unit on Frankley Rd in October 2015.
The 49-year-old carried out renovations and planned to sell it for a small profit.
New Plymouth home owner Kerryanne Hopkins is calling for legislation around methamphetamine testing in properties after the flat she bought and renovated tested positive for P.
She is now calling for meth tests to be made mandatory when houses are sold or when new tenants move in, and is considering starting a petition to force the Government to take action.
“The vendor should have a meth check done before they sell the house and as far as Housing New Zealand goes and rented property there should be a meth check done between tenants.
“I’m willing to put everything I own on the line to see the legislation changed.
“It is worth it so that you know that your property, that you are renting out, is safe, so you are really protecting your investment.”
Hopkins’ calls have been welcomed by drug detection experts and New Zealand First.
Karen Baker, of Detect IT NZ, said she would support the move.
“The consequences of ending up with a house contaminated with meth are quite severe,” Baker said.
“The amount of meth out there is quite prevalent, so when you get these two together you start to get quite a high risk factor.”
Baker said she was a landlord as well and urged anyone who was worried about who was renting their property to have it tested.
“That makes me concerned about who is living in these properties of mine.
“I don’t think it is fair that someone should end up buying a house full of meth.”
NZ First MP Darroch Ball said the government was failing to step up and address the effects of methamphetamine use and manufacture on New Zealand private rental properties.
“Tens of thousands of dollars are being forked out by landlords monthly having to clean up meth-contaminated properties because of the criminal behaviour of tenants, and something needs to be done urgently,” Ball said.
Hopkins said the discovery was made after potential buyers decided to have the house tested on their lawyer’s advice.
She said an inspector visited her home and took eight swabs – but put them all in one container so it was not possible to identify which area of her home was contaminated.
“A few days later my solicitor rang me and said they’ve pulled out,” she said. “I got a real fright.
“I said that methamphetamine test must have come back positive and she said it had.”
The potential buyers told Hopkins’ lawyer the results from the swabs showed the house exceeded the Ministry of Health’s guidelines.
Since the revelation Hopkins said she does not let anyone visit her, including her four-year-old grandson, who has health problems.
“He spends every Wednesday with me.”
She has since arranged for own testing to be done to identify exactly where the contamination is.
Hopkins has also spent about 80 hours cleaning her home with vinegar and sugar soap and hoped the tests came back clear.
She said there appeared to be a light crystal residue on the walls in her bedroom.
“I’m just thinking the old meth addicts have been sitting up against the wall puffing away in bed.”
If the house still shows high readings for methamphetamine contamination the mother of three and grandmother of four, is facing a hefty cleaning bill of up to $25,000 which she can’t afford.
“I don’t have the money to pay for decontamination and it’s not just me, a lot of people don’t have the money to pay for decontamination.”
Hopkins said she feared what would happen if the house could not be decontaminated.
“If it still comes back with a high reading then that will go on the LIM report and leave the house unsaleable.
“I would never buy a property again without have a meth check done on it.”