The owner of this property is frustrated with authorities.
A FORMER Mandurah resident believes he has been put in the “too hard basket” after his home was raided by police in June.
The former resident, who does not want to be named, is the owner of a property in Mandurah raided by police and organised crime squad on June 25 after the home was suspected of operating as a clandestine drug laboratory.
With tenants in the home since January as he now lives overseas, the owner said the whole experience had been a nightmare.
“I am feeling like I am just chasing my tail over and over as everyone in a position to help continually deflects it to the next person,” he said.
According to the owner, police informed the City of Mandurah of the lab in late May with the then-tenant due to front court for failure to pay rent.
Since late May, the owner said four unknown people had occupied the house despite a number of attempts to evict them.
On June 25 the house was raided by police and a 38-year-old male was arrested and charged with manufacturing a prohibited drug.
Since the raid the owner said nothing had changed.
“I am personally disgusted that my neighbours and community have had to put up with a drug lab,” he said.
The owner said it was not just the mental stress that was taking its toll, but the financial strain was hard to manage.
“As you can well imagine my finances through all these delays are greatly affected,” he said.
“The longer they are allowed to stay the greater the damage to my house.”
According to the City of Mandurah, the house has been deemed unfit for habitation after receiving a report from ChemCentre officers following the raid.
But the owner said four occupants are still in the home.
Mandurah senior sergeant Chris Hoath said organised crime squad officers had cleared the house after the raid was conducted meaning the home was able to be occupied.
This has left the owner in what he calls “a run-around” as the courts will not evict the residents as they are allowed to live in the home as police have deemed the home liveable, but he is receiving letters from the City of Mandurah informing him the home is unfit for habitation meaning insurers need to get into the home to assess the damage.
“The priority for now is that I get the unknown persons out of my house so I can seek insurance assessment,” the owner said.
“Every level has been a battle to get things done and I think that will continue all the way through the insurance process.”
The owner said he is concerned those residents still occupying his house could be involved in illegal activity.
“No insurance assessor will go near the property until the eviction has taken place,” he said.
“I have been advised it’s very possible the property will be condemned and I will have to flatten it at considerable expense.”
The owner employed a property management agent in February to deal with the home while he is overseas and contacted MP David Templeman for assistance in the matter he hopes is resolved sooner rather than later.
