I HAVE A friend who lost her job recently through ill health. She isn’t a rich lady of means but she is a landlord.
She bought a wee one-bedroom student flat when in university and through working two jobs while studying managed to pay the interest on the mortgage.
Now, 20 years later she used that flat as security to buy her small semi-detached where she now lives. She is an avid gardener, though her chemotherapy sometimes causes her lawn to get a little out of control.
Financially speaking, she is in dire straits. The rent from her one-bedroom flat after taxes and expenses was a lifeline and a little security.
Unfortunately her long-term tenants moved out, they had kept the place in good order and paid their rent on time. They too were hoping one day to own a flat and rent another and good luck to them.
The new tenant moved in about two years ago, five months before Covid and about four months before her diagnosis. They paid the deposit and for the first few weeks, all was well.
Then they stopped paying the rent, they never paid the council tax and they changed the locks on the property.
Her former neighbours started calling her telling stories of drug use, noise at all hours, drunkenness, threats of
violence to the elderly lady who has lived above for 45 years when she challenged the tenant while he was urinating in the close.
Despite the “no pets” clause on the lease there are two large dogs which bark day and night and never seem to get out.
The stench as you pass the door, she was told, was almost unbearable. Not only are their lives being affected but their properties are being damaged and their house prices being brought down.
She is paying this person’s rent for them and they know she is powerless. She has two mortgages, she has friends who are suffering and pleading with her to do something, her credit is suffering as the council tax and bills pile up and she has cancer.
As a landlord, Lorna Slater sees her as some fat cat sucking the lifeblood from some hard-working and put upon renter and that she should not expect any return on investment or protections in law.
She believes that evictions should be illegal and therefore paying one’s way in the world should be optional (Keeping some Covid measures could make society less heartless, June 25).
This is the problem with the Greens. They seem to be entirely made up of champagne socialists, radicals and the children of the establishment who have no life experience whatsoever.
This cannot be true but their policies while full of ideals and good intentions utterly neglect the ugly realities of life and we all know where the road of good intentions takes us.
Perhaps Lorna Slater could explain to my friend what is socially just about someone who has done the right thing all her life having the small reward for all her hard work destroyed by a feckless, violent, abuser of trust, people and animals while having her lawful right to recourse removed?
In a perfect world everyone would do the right thing. In reality, evictions need to happen.
Perhaps if and when my friend is able to get this guy out her beloved wee flat he could come with his dogs and live in Lorna’s spare room?
She’s making far, far more money than my friend.
Oh, and given every moment of delay to the process beginning means more damage being done, Lorna could help out with the rectification of this?
Asking for a friend.
Leroy Jenkin
via email
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel