CLAIM AND OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT REQUEST Treasury Oversight of Debt Management Central (DMC) and MWLASS

Treasury Oversight of Debt Management Central (DMC) and MWLASS

Issued as a Claim (not a complaint)

Authority, not opinion | Evidence trail, not narrative

To: The Treasury

From: InLandsAirWater Counsel – Private Trust (PTNDA)

Issued by: Tracy Lynch, Attorney (as instructed)

Date: today third of February 2026

PART A — CLAIM: AUTHORITY, FUNDING, AND OUTCOMES

1. Purpose of this Claim

This Claim is issued to place Treasury on formal notice of serious concerns regarding the authority, funding, and financial incentives underpinning residential debt enforcement activities carried out by Debt Management Central (DMC) and Manawatu-Whanganui LASS Limited (MWLASS).

This Claim does not allege criminal liability. It seeks clarification and accountability in relation to:

• the lawful basis for enforcement activity;

• Treasury’s role (if any) in funding, contracting, indemnifying, or enabling such activity; and

• the outcomes arising from those arrangements, including removal of people from their homes.

2. Matters Giving Rise to this Claim

Across multiple unrelated cases, a consistent pattern has been observed whereby:

• DMC and/or MWLASS have undertaken or facilitated debt enforcement and recovery actions;

• Those actions have resulted in forced sales, dispossession, or loss of housing;

• Enforcement has proceeded in circumstances where:

• original documents were unavailable or not produced;

• lawful service of proceedings could not be established;

• tribunal or administrative pathways were relied upon in place of judicial process; and

• proportionality to the underlying debt (often modest sums) was absent.

These outcomes raise serious questions as to who authorised the activity, who funded it, and who benefited financially.

3. Treasury’s Potential Role

Treasury is identified as the appropriate oversight body because the matters described may involve:

• public funding streams;

• Vote allocations;

• cost-recovery or clawback mechanisms;

• indirect subsidisation via MSD payments;

• or financial structures that incentivise enforcement outcomes.

This Claim seeks confirmation of Treasury’s knowledge of, involvement in, or oversight of such arrangements.

4. Relief Sought

Treasury is respectfully requested to:

1. Clarify whether Treasury has funded, contracted with, indemnified, or otherwise supported DMC and/or MWLASS in relation to debt enforcement or recovery activities;

2. Confirm whether Treasury is aware of residential dispossession outcomes arising from such activity;

3. Identify any internal controls, safeguards, or oversight mechanisms applied to ensure lawful authority and proportionality;

4. Confirm whether any financial incentives, performance metrics, or clawback arrangements exist that relate to enforcement outcomes.

PART B — OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT REQUEST

This request is made pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982.

5. Information Sought

For the period [insert relevant years], please provide:

1. Any funding, appropriation, Vote allocation, service agreement, contract, or memorandum involving:

• Debt Management Central (DMC);

• Manawatu-Whanganui LASS Limited (MWLASS);

• substitute service, debt recovery, or enforcement activities linked to housing or land.

2. Any clawback, cost-recovery, revenue-sharing, or reimbursement mechanismsassociated with:

• debt enforcement;

• residential dispossession;

• forced sale or recovery actions.

3. Any Treasury guidance, advice, assurance, or internal analysis relied upon as to the lawfulness of such arrangements.

4. Any communications between Treasury and:

• MSD;

• local authorities;

• justice-sector agencies;

concerning the funding or consequences of debt enforcement activity affecting housing.

5. Any assessment, review, or awareness within Treasury of the social or fiscal impacts arising from residential dispossession linked to enforcement actions.

6. Duty of Candour

This request is framed to enable transparency as to whether public funds are being applied in a manner consistent with lawful authority, proportionality, and proper purpose.

PART C — PRESERVATION OF POSITION

7. Reservation

This Claim and request are issued without prejudice and with full reservation of rights.

No inference of lawfulness is accepted from the absence of prior intervention by any agency.

Issued calmly, in good faith, and for the purpose of ensuring accountability in the use of public funds.

Tracy lynch