Quote:He said housing was a basic human right....
It ought to be. Here is an irony. A mate of mine (met when I got into the Cab ownership) about whom I've probably posted before, Max. Max is 'homeless' and lives 'rough.'
In about 2012, his last surviving relative, an Aunt died and left him an Estate worth about $850,000.00 cash. The Aunt appointed the Public Trustee as the Executor and Trustee of her Will/Estate. In March 2013, while it was resisted by Max and Lawyers I arranged to help him, the Public Trustee managed to convince a thing known up here as QCAT (I know it as a Mickey Mouse Court) to appoint it to have ongoing management of those funds.
AFAIAC, Max ought to have had it to do with what he pleased. But, that was not to be.
So Max continued to live 'homeless' and 'rough' even though I had organised for the Public Trustee to pay him $600.00 per week. It is his money, after all. Max pisses that up against a wall, probably hands out cash to his associates, and blows whatever is left on Keno in local Pubs.
He is one smart Dude. He cooks on the street, he keeps his booze cold on the street, he showers on the street, he sleeps on the street....(literally....but he showers at the Showgrounds which he sneakily accesses.....he sleeps where there are CCTV facilities) but.....
he has a close association with a house. He hangs out there every day, drinking and socialising with the people who live there. He 'runs' errands for them. It is the glue of his World and he is happy in all respects other than that the Public Trustee controls his money.
So.....one day on October 2015, Max sees that the Landlord/Owner of that House has put it on the market. He gets straight onto me, yadda yadda yadda, I do some assessments of value and Max makes an offer to buy. His offer is accepted.
Because I knew it was inevitable the Public Trustee would need to be involved, I asked that the contract be made subject to Public Trustee approval.
Off we go to the local Office of the Public Trustee and hand them a copy of the Contract. 'Oh great,' they say to Max...."We support you buying a Home."
Max is happy. Not much will change in his daily World, but he will be able to do 'officially' as owner what he does now. It will be his Home Base and principal place of residence, and the occupants stay on as Boarders, paying Max what he will lose out of the aforesaid $600.00.
The Public Trustee arranges for a valuation, and because I had done my homework, the valuation came in $5000.00 above the agreed purchase price. Great!
So, we are all (including the very patient Vendor) sitting on our thumbs waiting for the Public Trustee to get the thing firmed up.
Two months later, they let Max know they want a Meeting. Max contacts me. He wants me with him. No worries and off we go.
At that meeting, they announce they want Max to be examined by an Occupational Therapist and a Doctor to ensure the purchase ought go ahead.
More than a month later, and as I type, the Bastards will not tell either me or Max why they need that. All Max wants to do, in his words, is to 'buy that house.'
Is housing really a basic human right?