PHOTO: RUAPEHU DISTRICT COUNCIL A decrepit and abandoned block of 10 one-bedroom flats in Taumarunui has accrued $100k in unpaid rates.

An abandoned and weather-worn block 12 one-bedroom flats for sale in King Country will be lucky to fetch $100,000.

Its beige exterior has discoloured, the interior has been vandalised, its windows are shattered and apart from the occasional troop of squatters – it’s been empty for years.

They’re eerie and romanticised in films, but abandoned houses can mean millions in unpaid rates for local governments.

And as a last resort, councils can demand the sale of a property to pay rates arrears.

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