You don’t hear about squatters much these days but this lengthy saga involves free-range occupants of a unit and the problems caused when a landlord won’t get involved.
It concerns a father, his grown-up son and his two grandkids who came to live with him some time ago. The kids’ mother would come around now and then and there would often be loud and violent disturbances.
Then last year social services took the kids away and granddad, the official tenant, disappeared shortly thereafter, taking the key to the unit with him.
The son stayed, however, gaining access through a window. He likes to entertain lady friends – he can let thim in using the intercom, once he’s inside the unit – and that’s when the booze and drug-fuelled fun and games really get going.
Often, there are aggressive confrontations with neighbours and police are called but complaints to the owners about numerous by-law breaches get nowhere.
“The rental agency takes the approach that it has no business relationship with the Owners Corporation and deals only with the owner concerning Strata issues,” says Whale, our Flatchatter on the spot. “The landlord ignores the Owners Corp’s emails and lets the current occupant remain.”
What a dilemma! The squatter has no official relationship with either the owner or the Owners Corp so they can issue all the Notices To Comply that they want and it won’t make a blind bit of difference.
Meanwhile an ‘accidental’ loss of power to the unit has led to retaliatory damage to a flyscreen and intercom, which may bring matters to a head.
Whale is planning to bill the squatters for repairs, knowing they won’t pay so he can pass it on to the owners, which may prompt a response.
“I’ve also discussed the provisions of the NSW Inclosed lands Protection Act with the local Police, and they believe that they may be able to issue them with an on-the-spot fine ($550).”
This is one epic mess. What happened to the kids? And where’s granddad? And why should the neighbours have to put up with this? There’s so much more to this and you can read the whole sorry saga HERE on the Forum.