Rent-dodger daughter blamed for 90-year-old on pavement

18 December 2017 - 17:12 By Nathi Olifant
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90-year-old Durban pensioner evicted from property now sitting on pavement.
90-year-old Durban pensioner evicted from property now sitting on pavement.
Image: Twitter/@MartyduPlessis

Homeowners denounced as heartless on social media over the apparent eviction of a 90-year-old Durban pensioner - after a picture of her sitting forlornly on the pavement went viral at the weekend - have gone public with their own battle. The rental dispute‚ they say‚ has led to them incurring large losses and having to put the house up for sale.

The matter broke on a Facebook post and on website South Africa Live‚ where author Marco Accolla first wrote about the saga on Sunday.

“This afternoon while Michelle and I were on our way to visit my family in Glenmore‚ we found a 90-year-old lady on the pavement‚ (in) Glenmore‚” he wrote.

He said the landlord - who TimesLIVE has chosen not to name because he could not be contacted - and “his side kick” identified as “Lionel”‚ obtained an eviction order. He claimed that the order was in Lionel’s name and not the owners.

Accolla said he called Lionel and tried to negotiate that they allow her to stay for a week‚ "even if I had to pay the rent for the lady"‚ but he reportedly refused.

“I then called out to the entire Glenmore and Glenwood community for help. I was inundated with support. We all stood together as one and found her a place to stay together with her belongings and dog‚” he said.

In picture posted on Facebook‚ a seemingly wheelchair-bound woman can be seen bundled with her belongings outside a building.

The matter raged on in the Glenwood community groups until a woman‚ who claimed to be Lionel’s wife‚ wrote in retaliation refuting Accolla’s claims.

Attempts to contact her and Accolla were both unsuccessful.

In her post‚ she revealed that the property from which the nonagenarian was evicted was registered in her husband’s name‚ countering Acolla’s previous claim.

She wrote a lengthy post addressed to Accolla and the Glenwood community.

“Please allow me to set the facts straight regarding the eviction of a 90-year-old lady in Glenwood. My husband Lionel is the registered and lawful owner from … and not his employer‚” she said.

She attached proof of the title deed.

She said that seven years ago she and Lionel rented the property to a woman in her 50s‚ and said she was the lawful tenant. It is understood that the woman lived with her elderly mother on the property.

The purported landlord's wife said that the daughter started defaulting three years ago.

“[She] has not paid any rent for the past three years despite numerous attempts made by us. She is a professional squatter who has been leading us on with lies‚” she said‚ attaching what she said was correspondence between them and the tenants.

“At some stage we could not bear the losses any further and therefore approached the housing tribunal‚ we offered to have her relocated and finally we were forced to seek legal relief. "

She said it was the tenant's "delinquency which has resulted in this unfortunate situation".

"The eviction was not done by us but authorised by the court. (The tenant) had every opportunity to defend herself both at the tribunal and at court‚” she said.

She said the arrears rental accrued to date exceeds R140‚000‚ excluding legal costs incurred.

“We are not in any situation to bear the costs of housing this tenant for free any further and in fact have put the house on the market to cover the losses incurred."

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