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Social tenants facing eviction
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| UNCERTAIN FUTURE: Landlords Ralph Ricardo and Alistair Gordon, front, with tenants Robbie Morgan and Justyn and James Walker |
UP TO 70 social housing tenants could be forced out of their homes and on to the streets of Weymouth following a row over housing benefits, a landlord has claimed.
Ralph Ricardo, who offers affordable housing in eight properties across the town, says he has had to evict a dozen tenants and is warning that more could follow.
He has handed eviction notices to tenants at Landor Guest House in Lennox Street, after the housing benefits they received from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council were suspended.
Mr Ricardo and business partner Alistair Gordon provide affordable accommodation for approximately 70 people in the resort, many of whom are recovering drug addicts or alcoholics who would not be able to find accommodation elsewhere.
He said: "They asked us for a list of all our tenants, which we provided them with, and they have suspended a number of the claims.
"At the moment we have had to evict 12 tenants but the same could go for other houses. It could quite easily become 70."
Coun Mike Goodman, council spokesman for housing, said: "I can confirm that payment of housing benefits to Mr Ricardo in respect of 17 of his tenants has been suspended whilst the council carries out further investigations into the claims being made.
"If it is established that the claims being made are justified the payments to Mr Ricardo will be reinstated."
Coun Goodman added: "If Mr Ricardo decides to evict any of the tenants whilst this investigation is being conducted there are laid down legal procedures he will need to follow.
"The council's housing advice centre can provide advice to tenants whose landlord is threatening them with eviction."
However, Mr Ricardo said he had inspected several tenants' paperwork and could not understand the council's decision to suspend the claims.
He said many of the tenants struggled when it came to filling out the forms required and that he was disillusioned by the lack of support as he tried to help address the urgent need for more affordable housing places in the borough.
James Walker, 32, a tenant at Landor Guest House, is a recovering heroin addict who spent six years on the streets of Weymouth.
He said: "It's the first place I've felt safe. Ralph gave me a chance - since I've been here I've been stable and I have not offended for two years."
His brother Justyn, 36, has been in and out of prison for 18 years. He said: "Ralph and Alistair have offered me support."
Mr Ricardo said he would, reluctantly, convert the building to its original use as a commercial guest house as it was the only way he could keep the premises operating financially.
10:33am Wednesday 14th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Old Synic, Wyke on 10:58am Wed 14 May 08
[quote]"If it is established that the claims being made are justified the payments to Mr Ricardo will be reinstated."[/quote]
[quote]quote[/quote]
A bit late AFTER people have been evicted.Mr Ricardo is obviously offering a social service but cannot be expected to operate for nothing,just because the the benfits people can't get their act together.
"If it is established that the claims being made are justified the payments to Mr Ricardo will be reinstated."
quote
A bit late AFTER people have been evicted.Mr Ricardo is obviously offering a social service but cannot be expected to operate for nothing,just because the the benfits people can't get their act together.
Posted by: davidl, Dorchester on 11:22am Wed 14 May 08
What the hell is council upto, are they trying to save money or lose votes
What the hell is council upto, are they trying to save money or lose votes
Posted by: maximus, Weymouth on 11:32am Wed 14 May 08
[bold]davidl, Dorchester[/bold] The feather-bedded 'jobsworths' who are doing this are probably not the electable but are employees of the council and thus are employed by and should be responsible to the taxpayers - (civil servants ??????) All they are worried about is getting their salary paid in each month, making sure that their heads don't show over the parapet and looking forward to their gold plated pensions
davidl, Dorchester The feather-bedded 'jobsworths' who are doing this are probably not the electable but are employees of the council and thus are employed by and should be responsible to the taxpayers - (civil servants ??????) All they are worried about is getting their salary paid in each month, making sure that their heads don't show over the parapet and looking forward to their gold plated pensions
Posted by: Realist, wey on 11:36am Wed 14 May 08
I do honestly worry about how blinkered some of you are.weymouth is well known as being a town that has a lot of benefit claimants living in these type of properties. surely (without going into detail) people know what goes on, does the council have to be blamed for everything ?? even landlord errors !!!
I do honestly worry about how blinkered some of you are.weymouth is well known as being a town that has a lot of benefit claimants living in these type of properties. surely (without going into detail) people know what goes on, does the council have to be blamed for everything ?? even landlord errors !!!
Posted by: Shy-Talk, Weymouth on 11:50am Wed 14 May 08
Agree with all the last comments. However are the tenants working or able to get jobs? If working, part rent is better then nothing at all.
Agree with all the last comments. However are the tenants working or able to get jobs? If working, part rent is better then nothing at all.
Posted by: genghis, portland on 11:58am Wed 14 May 08
I would suggest these 'jobsworths' are doing exactly what they are paid to do and that's to ensure that the Council Taxpayers money is being spent properly. Or are you all in favour of our money just being thrown around with no checks whatsoever to anybody that turns up?
I would suggest these 'jobsworths' are doing exactly what they are paid to do and that's to ensure that the Council Taxpayers money is being spent properly. Or are you all in favour of our money just being thrown around with no checks whatsoever to anybody that turns up?
Posted by: maximus, Weymouth on 1:06pm Wed 14 May 08
The jobsworths may be doing what they are paid to do but so was Darling when he jumped in and cut the 10p tax rate without apparently thinking of the consequences. I was always taught to think twice and then act once. It may well be that tenants are not entitled to their claims but surely this could all have been done without the need to cause this publicity. I expect that lots of people are currently having their allowances adjusted whose cases do not reach the august pages of the Echo.
The jobsworths may be doing what they are paid to do but so was Darling when he jumped in and cut the 10p tax rate without apparently thinking of the consequences. I was always taught to think twice and then act once. It may well be that tenants are not entitled to their claims but surely this could all have been done without the need to cause this publicity. I expect that lots of people are currently having their allowances adjusted whose cases do not reach the august pages of the Echo.
Posted by: Positron, Rodwell on 1:57pm Wed 14 May 08
It seems to me that the council (our representative local government officials) are damned if they do and damned it they don't!
It's not 'jobsworthiness' to investigate situations which are ringing alarm bells, however unsympathetic is may seem, that's what we expect from our local authorities.
Let's hope that the investigation has a positive outcome for people in these situations who need all the help we can give them to get their self esteem back and live a more normal and productive life in society.
It seems to me that the council (our representative local government officials) are damned if they do and damned it they don't!
It's not 'jobsworthiness' to investigate situations which are ringing alarm bells, however unsympathetic is may seem, that's what we expect from our local authorities.
Let's hope that the investigation has a positive outcome for people in these situations who need all the help we can give them to get their self esteem back and live a more normal and productive life in society.
Posted by: cthweymouth, home on 1:59pm Wed 14 May 08
Perhaps it should be noted that Ralf and Alistair are not social landlords and often their properties are not "affordable". Tenants have rights and they should not be evicting them anyway, perhaps if they had been running their business properly in the first place the council would not have thought it necessary to suspend their tenant's claims whilst they investigate. Stop blaming the council and look at the people who so-called 'running' these properties instead.
Perhaps it should be noted that Ralf and Alistair are not social landlords and often their properties are not "affordable". Tenants have rights and they should not be evicting them anyway, perhaps if they had been running their business properly in the first place the council would not have thought it necessary to suspend their tenant's claims whilst they investigate. Stop blaming the council and look at the people who so-called 'running' these properties instead.
Posted by: CoogarUK, Dorchester on 2:15pm Wed 14 May 08
[quote]but so was Darling when he jumped in and cut the 10p tax rate[/quote]
Darling didn't cut the 10p tax rate - Gordon Brown did, in his very last budget. May be worthwhile remembering that if he is still in charge when the next general election comes around.
but so was Darling when he jumped in and cut the 10p tax rate
Darling didn't cut the 10p tax rate - Gordon Brown did, in his very last budget. May be worthwhile remembering that if he is still in charge when the next general election comes around.
Posted by: Gas `ed, Weymouth on 2:43pm Wed 14 May 08
People on Social Housing says it all. Instead of blaming the Council for doing what they are supposed to be doing ensuring that Council Tax payers money is being paid out correctly wy dont these people get out and find themselves a job so that they can pay their own rent instead of relying on the state. Makes my blood boil, plus, there is no smoke without fire so there must be a very good reason why rent payments were suspended, hopefully when all the dust settles maybe there maybe a few more questions the landlord should be addressing before going to the press, time will tell
People on Social Housing says it all. Instead of blaming the Council for doing what they are supposed to be doing ensuring that Council Tax payers money is being paid out correctly wy dont these people get out and find themselves a job so that they can pay their own rent instead of relying on the state. Makes my blood boil, plus, there is no smoke without fire so there must be a very good reason why rent payments were suspended, hopefully when all the dust settles maybe there maybe a few more questions the landlord should be addressing before going to the press, time will tell
Posted by: Local, Weymouth on 2:44pm Wed 14 May 08
If claims are considered to be potentially fraudulent then the council is quite rightto investigate. Let us get one point very straight Mr Ricardo is running a business which provides a social service. He is not running a social service which incidentally runs as a business. If it didn't make good money then he wouldn't be running it. Mr Ricardo seems to be trying to give the impression that he runs some kind of charity and therefore special rules ought to apply to him. Absolute b------s
If claims are considered to be potentially fraudulent then the council is quite rightto investigate. Let us get one point very straight Mr Ricardo is running a business which provides a social service. He is not running a social service which incidentally runs as a business. If it didn't make good money then he wouldn't be running it. Mr Ricardo seems to be trying to give the impression that he runs some kind of charity and therefore special rules ought to apply to him. Absolute b------s
Posted by: genghis, portland on 8:55pm Wed 14 May 08
[quote][bold]maximus[/bold] wrote:
The jobsworths may be doing what they are paid to do but so was Darling when he jumped in and cut the 10p tax rate without apparently thinking of the consequences. I was always taught to think twice and then act once. It may well be that tenants are not entitled to their claims but surely this could all have been done without the need to cause this publicity. I expect that lots of people are currently having their allowances adjusted whose cases do not reach the august pages of the Echo.[/quote] I put it to you that all this was being done without the need for any publicity. The person who created the publicity was THE LANDLORD. Instead of waiting to find out the results of the investigation HE has decided to evict HIS tenants, HE has then gone running to the papers and HE is the only one making money out of this situation. The Council employees are only doing what they are employed to do - make sure our Council Tax money isn't going where it shouldn't.
maximus wrote:
The jobsworths may be doing what they are paid to do but so was Darling when he jumped in and cut the 10p tax rate without apparently thinking of the consequences. I was always taught to think twice and then act once. It may well be that tenants are not entitled to their claims but surely this could all have been done without the need to cause this publicity. I expect that lots of people are currently having their allowances adjusted whose cases do not reach the august pages of the Echo.
I put it to you that all this was being done without the need for any publicity. The person who created the publicity was THE LANDLORD. Instead of waiting to find out the results of the investigation HE has decided to evict HIS tenants, HE has then gone running to the papers and HE is the only one making money out of this situation. The Council employees are only doing what they are employed to do - make sure our Council Tax money isn't going where it shouldn't.
Posted by: Local, Weymouth on 4:33pm Thu 15 May 08
I see that Mr. Ricardo wants more support while he pro
vides 'affordable' housing and lines his pockets. He is exactly the type of landlord with the type of tenants that this town does not need.
I see that Mr. Ricardo wants more support while he pro
vides 'affordable' housing and lines his pockets. He is exactly the type of landlord with the type of tenants that this town does not need.
Posted by: Local, Weymouth on 4:33pm Thu 15 May 08
I see that Mr. Ricardo wants more support while he pro
vides 'affordable' housing and lines his pockets. He is exactly the type of landlord with the type of tenants that this town does not need.
I see that Mr. Ricardo wants more support while he pro
vides 'affordable' housing and lines his pockets. He is exactly the type of landlord with the type of tenants that this town does not need.
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