The ownership of a million-dollar estate is being challenged by a squatter who claims it was abandoned by the local council. Kerre Reddy​, 60, is using an archiac law to contest the ownership of the 29.5421 hectare Mt Lees Reserve near Feilding in Manawatū. It refers to a historic British common law that states by erecting a flag and planting a crop on an abandoned property, a person is entitled to own it. Reddy, originally from Napier, believed the Manawatū District Council abandoned the property when its bed and breakfast operation closed in early 2020. In the past year, the median Manawatū property value has increased by 36 per cent.

Source: Stuff August 29, 2021 03:11 UTC