Work is under way to determine who owns the Twizel Op Shop building.

Pukaki Co-operating Parish member Gren Povall would like to hear from anyone involved in the church between 1988 and 1997 to determine who owns the building at the rear of the church in Mackenzie Drive.

She is seeking documentary evidence confirming the transfer of ownership of the Twizel Op Shop from the Pukaki Co-operating Parish to the Twizel Church Charitable Trust (TCCT).

"The building was originally donated by the Otematata Anglican Parish to Twizel as a youth work building, then changed into a coffee shop and later into an op shop. There is evidence of the land being transferred to the TCCT from the Mackenzie District Council. On the face of it, one would assume the building was transferred.

"However, given that the building was originally property of the Christchurch Diocese there is a strong likelihood the building may wrongfully or not even been part of the land transaction between the district council and TCCT."

The building has been on the asset list of the Pukaki Co-operating Parish for many years, but had recently appeared on the books of the TCCT, with no clear evidence of the transfer.

"One of the people who would have known the detailed history of any transfers or ownership responsibility is regrettably deceased. I am presently trawling through old church council minutes trying to find a clear indication of such a transfer or not. This is now posing an auditing challenge."

The era of the likely transfer was between 1988 and 1997, he said.

Mr Povall can be contacted by mail, at 39 Hopkins Rd, Twizel.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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