Pohara Store lessee seeks meeting over tender
Long-time Pohara Store lessee, Mike Hargreaves, is in dispute with his landlord, the Tasman District Council, over council’s determination to put the lease of the store out to tender when it expires in September this year.
Mr Hargreaves says that last year two different council representatives—one staff, one elected—gave him verbal assurances that he would be granted an automatic rollover of his current lease, as has been in the past. As a result of these assurances, Mr Hargreaves says that he committed to over $15,000 worth of improvements to the store.
“Why would I spend that amount of money at this stage if I wasn’t assured of getting the lease rolled over again?” said Mr Hargreaves.
Now that the council has resolved to exercise its right to put the lease out to tender, Mr Hargreaves has mounted a media campaign and is threatening to take the council to court.
A meeting is scheduled between Mr Hargreaves and Tasman District Mayor, Richard Kempthorne. Both parties say they hope that the meeting will obviate the need for expensive, time-consuming and unproductive legal action.
Council’s property manager Jim Frater said that the Pohara Store was a vital piece of community infrastructure and that the proposed tender process was the same as that involving the Pohara Beach Holiday Park and the Motueka Holiday Park.
“Council has a duty to ensure that its assets achieve good returns and that lessees are offering the best possible service to residents and visitors,” said Mr Frater. “Whatever happens, there will be a convenience store at Pohara. Because he owns the chattels and the stock, Mr Hargreaves is in an ideal position to succeed in the tender process. He has a natural advantage.”
Neil Wilson
