Hello Benjamin,
Thanks for that info – but it worked anyway.  The squaters are out,  and I am in the house busily renovating it….
As soon as I am back home I will update all those that helped me……
Thanks heaps.
Narelle

Beaniemonster, you have just made my day !!!  Thank you.

Just prior to Christmas I called a local Real Estate agent and spoke with its owner about rents, rental demands etc, and it was based on this conversation and my own independent research, that I decided that I would renovate the place and put it in the hands of that agent.  There are literally no properties available, long waiting list s, and the rents are outrageous.  That was the plan anyway – until I discovered there were people in it………….and the rest is history.

Your email just wacked me around the head and told me to get on the phone and find out.  So I did.  And gues what – it is possible for the RE Agent to approach the people in the house and advise them the property is now under management by them.  Yippeeeeeee………..  The people in the house will need to pay bond and 2 weeks rent upfront and if no money shows the RE Agent will issue a Remedy to Breach, which gives them 9 days to rectify.  Should they not pay up I think the next step is to take them to small claims court (I was so excited to hear that something could be done, everything went a bit blurry after that) and the next step is eviction.

Another step in the right direction, is that I have finally been able to chase my brother down and find out what he has been up to.  Isn't life just grand !   There was never any man involved in the equation, so whoever it was that the police spoke with is a mystery.  My brother made a verbal agreement with a woman and her 2 kids to rent the house.  I was not informed, as he was trying to get the money to cover the rates and at the same time not let me know that the rates had not been paid.  I did ask ocassionally if he was keeping up with them, and he always said yes.  I put my trust in him, and never checked for myself (learnt a lesson there – haven't I ?).  The neighbour that told me people were in the house reported 2 women, 2 kids and a weekend man.  After the police visited at my request, my brother got a phone call from the woman accusing him of setting the police on her.  He told her it was probably my doing, and that some of that 'brown smelly stuff 'was really going to hit the fan very shortly if it was me.  The woman with the kids then told my bro that she would move out by the end of the week.  Apparently the other woman moved out the next day.  Phew, this is riviting stuff.

Sooooo, being the trusting sole that I am (*chuckle*), I have engaged the services of the abovementioned RE Agent to go to work.   My bro will probably get another phone call from the woman shortly after she is issued with an Entry Notice……..
 And yes, being half owner I am entitled to half the rent . 

The RE Agent is this minute going for a drive past the place to see what condition it is being kept in – I shudder to think.  Then the Entry Notice will be seved, and we will see what the inside iof the house is like and come up with a fair & reasonable rent figure.  The RE Agent was saying that they can't increase the rent for 2 months from what they are supposed to be paying now.  Hmmmmm.  Since there are no written agreements and no rent has been paid anyway, it is just so cool that the fair & reasonable rent figure matches the figure my bro qouted.  Hmmm, that should do it !

How relieved am I ?

That's enough about me, now how about you ?  Sounds like the nephews 3 are getting you a deal on a bit of land.  They are making the property look so unattractive and keeping all the competition at bay !  What more could you ask for ??  I know – your offer to be accepted……….. 

After your offer has been accepted, maybe you can go down the track you suggested for me.  Hang on, better wait and make sure that the track I'm on doesn't have any nasty snags still waiting to be crushed, until you do that. 

Interesting indeed…………………

Narellen