Helena Pauleen Wakefield, 72, was found dead in her red Suzuki Swift on St Vincent Avenue in Remuera on July 7, after living on the streets of the suburb where she grew up for months.
Residents of the affluent suburb had repeatedly asked the police and the municipality for help, fearing she would not survive the winter.
Her brother, Larry Wakefield, said they hadn’t been in close contact, but he was so concerned when she couldn’t be reached after eviction from the $1.2 million house on Dempsey St that he hired someone to find her.
After refusing to leave the family home when her mother, also known as Helena, died in 2019, Australian resident Larry successfully went to the Supreme Court to evict her so that the property could be sold and the proceeds raised. divided.
“This is an extremely painful time for me,” Wakefield said of his sister’s death.
“Despite all efforts, the private investigator was unable to locate Helena before she died last week,” he said through his lawyer.
“I don’t understand why no action has been taken so far after local residents raised concerns and alerted authorities.”
A judge determined that Helena was living in the house illegally and that her brother was entitled to possession of the property.
Larry said that when their mother died, the house had to be sold and the proceeds divided.
“Mom died in May 2019 and Helena left the property in December 2021. Helena was offered six months’ rent, and when she left the property she offered hotel accommodation until she got half her share. She did not take up the offer.”
He said that after his sister left the house on Dempsey St, he was concerned for her well-being and took action to track her down. He wasn’t sure if she was still in New Zealand or if she’d returned to Australia, where she’d lived in the past.
Helena had been living in her car on another Remuera street since March and the police and Auckland City Council had received multiple reports of this, but no action appears to have been taken to help her.
The municipality admits that it wrongly assumed that she was a freedom camper.
Residents of St. Vincent Ave said Helena and her vehicle were so well-maintained that they didn’t realize she lived in it until they saw her wipe the windows of the car from the inside because of the condensation that had built up.
After police named Helena as the woman who died alone in her car, she was found to be involved in a Supreme Court lawsuit last year over the property where she lived with her mother.
In July 2021, Judge Mark Woolford ordered Helena to vacate Dempsey St home. The $1.2 million property was bequeathed to her and her brother in their mother’s 2008 will.
Helena Wakefield Sr. lived in the house with her daughter from December 2011 until her death. It is clear that Helena jnr was the full time carer of her ailing mother.
After their mother’s death, Helena jnr continued to live in the property and refused to cooperate with her brother in executing their mother’s will.
Supreme Court documents from last July say, “After Ms. Wakefield’s… [Helena snr] kill the suspect [Helena jnr] neglected and/or refused to cooperate with the claimant [Larry] in probate of Mrs Wakefield’s will as co-executor.”
On February 17, 2021, Larry became the sole executor of his mother’s estate after he filed a lawsuit.
Helena jnr was also ordered to pay her brother $21,842 of her portion of the estate for the unnecessary “time and expense of filing that application.”
On March 26 last year, Larry’s lawyer told his sister that she had to leave the property. He also offered Helena alternative accommodation at a rate of $600 a week – to get out of his sister’s part of the estate.
But court records show that she continued to live in the house and did not respond to her brother.
Larry then filed further legal claims, including requesting a $575 market rent from his sister as of July 2020.
In July 2021, Judge Woolford issued a verdict that Larry was entitled to possession of the house, saying Helena jnr had had ample opportunity to manage her affairs and vacate the property “but refuses to do so”.
“Without access to the property, the plaintiff is unable to administer Ms. Wakefield’s estate and perform his duties as an executor. There is no demonstrable defense against the plaintiff’s claim for possession of the property good,” Judge Woolford said.
The judge also ordered Helena jnr to pay her brother damages for illegal occupation at a rate of $575 per week starting March 26, 2021.
The judge noted efforts to pragmatically resolve the cases, including giving three months’ notice to vacate and offering compensation for six months of housing.
It’s unclear what Helena was up to between July 2021 and March 2022, when she was first seen in her car on St Vincent Ave.
Larry Wakefield said his sister’s cause of death was unknown and was being examined by the coroner.
A police spokesperson confirmed that they had received two calls on St Vincent Ave on May 15 and June 8, reporting a person living in a car.
“At least once, the informant was advised to contact the municipality to report the situation.
Helena’s death has been referred to the Coroner. Our thoughts are with Helena’s family right now.”
Sarah Miller, a resident of St Vincent Ave, has repeatedly contacted Auckland Council and police about the homeless woman’s predicament.
She said she felt “extremely sad” when she learned that Helena had been forced out of a house so close to where she ended up living in her car.
“It’s clear she felt a connection with this area. The community needs to do better,” Miller said.
“It’s scary to think where she could have been before she was on our street.”
A review is underway by Auckland Council after staff incorrectly classified Helena as a freedom camper.
Kevin Marriott, head of community delivery, Central/East, said: “Out of respect for her recent and sad passing, we are unable to comment at this time.”
Age Concern Auckland CEO Kevin Lamb said the dire reality was that this was a situation waiting to happen.
“We know it’s not uncommon. Fortunately it’s not that common for older people, but we do know there’s a huge pressure on older people to try and find suitable housing, to be able to afford housing, so unfortunately it’s No surprise.”
He said that while there were no reports of people living in cars, there was a “steady increase” in the elderly struggling with affordability of housing and emergency housing.
“It’s scary in a modern city like Auckland.”