Accountant who pretended house was his gets to keep it
To Sydney, Australia, where Bill Gertos is the owner of a new home in Sydney, Australia. Twenty years ago, Mr Gertos was working as a tax accountant. (Just as all lawyers should be called Sue, all accountants must be called Bill.) He spotted a tired looking house. No-one was living there. He discovered that the last resident had died. They’d been renting the home since the 1940s. Mr Gertos moved in. He changed the locks. And he rented it out. The actual owners – descendants of the previous owner, who died in 1947 – took Mr Gertos to court. And lost. He got to keep the house.
The BBC:
In New South Wales, squatters can be awarded ownership if they have occupied a property for more than 12 years.
The court granted Mr Gertos those rights because he had repaired and maintained the property since 1998.
Australian media outlets described the case as “bizarre” because the relevant law is typically used by those who move into a property themselves.
Wonder if the current lodgers begrudge paying Mr Gertos any rent – and how many landlords are looking at their accountants with renewed interest..?
Posted: 2nd, November 2018 | In: Key Posts, Strange But True Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
