The un-announced knock on the door is a new terror for some of the 440 homes on Gateshead Council's demolition list. Residents whose homes are next on the council hit list are visited by David Franklin. Franklin is a chartered surveyor who tries to persuade residents to leave.
Apart from knocking on doors without an appointment to catch residents unprepared he has lists of equivilent local property. Some residents have described some of the property as unmodernised and not fit for their family pet. He will offer you loans and if you still refuse there is the tactic of saying that the offer for your home will only get worse if you hold out because Gateshead Council is running out of money.
Of course all the council officials cover their back. No offers in writing, nothing to tie down what they saying. Nailing down the council to a firm offer is like nailing jelly to the wall.
What we do know is that all the offers on the table under-value properties. Last year the Joesph Rowntree Foundation reported that people were losing up to £30,000 by selling to the council.
The residents are toughing it out and not settling for the poor council offers. However the council are hitting back by leaving doors open on property they already own almost as if they want to encourage arson and the blighting of an area. Hardly surprising to see increases in anti-social behaviour - which the council will use as a justifcation for demolition.
If you want to end up owing the council money then Franklin will drive you into a bit of "affordable" negative equity - what an offer! However this will remain a verbal offer until you accept.
In most areas of life no means no. To David Franklin it is merely a further challenge to get people to move.
0 comments:
Post a Comment