How about we sue the DOH?

[Wallym]

1 - The Department of Housing (DOH) builds properties using taxes.
2 - We are taxpayers and as such have are all part owners of these properties.
3 - The DOH lets and administers these properties (on our behalf) to those in need.

Now, here's the rub:

As far as I am aware the DOH does not conduct property inspections.
A drive through your nearest DOH estate and this becomes pretty bloody obvious.

Most of us have seen the neglect, and in some cases out and out abuse, that some of these properties suffer.

These people are fithly lazy pigs because they are allowed to be, and I don't see why we should stand by meekly and watch our assets depreciate.

Our investment (tax) in these properties is going south rapidly, all because of the laziness (or incompitance) of the DOH.

A tenant in any property has an obligation to keep the property in fair and reasonable condition and the DOH as both landlord and Propery Manager has a resposibility to ensure that the tenant meet this obligation.

As a taxpayer and therefore co-owner of these properties, should we not band together and raise a class action against the DOH for negligence.

 

[evand]

Yeah OK. You start.

 

[alexlee]

Because I'd rather spend my time doing things that have a more direct benefit to me.......

 

[sash]

Wallym

I look at this as positive....since they do not care this presents opportunities. They could not possibly provide a service/product like a private landlord, who in most cases is going to care about the quality of the tenant and ensure that their places are not trashed.

i tend to invest in the lower end of the market. I currently in the market to take some of the old Housing Commission homes off them...renovate and probably lease back to them or their tenants. The only difference is if the tenant does not pay on time or look after the property they will be out. I also take care in identifying areas that they (DOH) are selling off large amounts of stock.

I am glad that we do not have an efficient Dept of Housing....they would be serious competition if they got their act together.

From what I am hearing they are no longer building ghettoes like the old days. Instead they are funding people into private landlords...imagine the potential for this? It also gets the DOH off the hook because tenants know if they trash a house they won't get one on the private market.

Imagine if they sold their housing stock, invested the proceeds, took the investment return and paid investors a small premium, subsidy or tax deduction for affordable housing in each state. This would solve the DOH queues pretty quick.

 

[Dazz]

These people are fithly lazy pigs because they are allowed to be, and I don't see why.....

Wallym,

You obviously haven't heard of these people's rights. We must protect and nurture these people. They are fellow Australians and deserve our love, respect and attention.

I'm ready to help them in any way I can, want to join in.

A tenant in any property has an obligation to keep the property in fair and reasonable condition and the DOH as both landlord and Propery Manager has a resposibility to ensure that the tenant meet this obligation.

As many people have found out here, there is a massive chasm between obligation and enforcement, especially when you are talking about people's private lives...it's nigh on impossible to enforce anything, especially in a reasonable time frame.

You'll find obligations are easy to enforce when people have many assets and lots to lose. When people have absolutely no material wealth, you literally cannot do anything to them. The wife and I call these "ORS"....that is, we want you to do this....or....this bad thing will happen to you. It's extremely common in most legal contracts.

When you don't have an or, forget it.


....anyway, no doubt you are joking....I suggest you do something far more productive with your time regarding your own personal circumstances. One cannot help people who do not wish to help themselves.

Leave this mallarky for the hand-wringing lefties and pollies.

 

[jaycee]

As a taxpayer and therefore co-owner of these properties, should we not band together and raise a class action against the DOH for negligence.[/QUOTE]



In reality, when you are not naiive, and it is obvious that this exists in many areas, and it will not fix anything........So no.

 

[tssk]

1 - The Department of Housing (DOH) builds properties using taxes.
2 - We are taxpayers and as such have are all part owners of these properties.
3 - The DOH lets and administers these properties (on our behalf) to those in need.

Now, here's the rub:

As far as I am aware the DOH does not conduct property inspections.
A drive through your nearest DOH estate and this becomes pretty bloody obvious.

Most of us have seen the neglect, and in some cases out and out abuse, that some of these properties suffer.

These people are fithly lazy pigs because they are allowed to be, and I don't see why we should stand by meekly and watch our assets depreciate.

Our investment (tax) in these properties is going south rapidly, all because of the laziness (or incompitance) of the DOH.

A tenant in any property has an obligation to keep the property in fair and reasonable condition and the DOH as both landlord and Propery Manager has a resposibility to ensure that the tenant meet this obligation.

As a taxpayer and therefore co-owner of these properties, should we not band together and raise a class action against the DOH for negligence.

Well it's been a good two decades since I was a Department of Housing tenant but I might be able to help you out here.

When we lived in Department of Housing properties we did have inspections. We were also under a lot more scrutiny. My mother had her boyfriend over one night, two days later a representative from the Department of Housing was on our doorstep asking her about unauthorised guests.

As Department of Housing tenants we were very aware that our obligations were greater than that of the average tenant and thus we really did have to behave. Otherwise out on the street for us.

Of course kids being kids we used to make a hell of a noise playing in the backyard. Fortunately one of our neighbours (owner occupied) put an end to that by shooting one of his guns at us. We learnt our lesson and never played in the backyard ever again.

As for the conditions of the place, yeah, I have to agree, some of these tenants are pigs. We should know as whenever we moved to a different property we would most of the time have to clean up the place. Everything from the usual poor cleaning to one place where we had to rip the carpets and lay down new ones because the previous tenants let their dogs crap everywhere. These were all paid from our own pocket.

As I've said, it's been a long time since I've lived in DOH stock but I think you might be disapointed to find if you looked through most of these houses you'd find ordinary people struck down by illness or bad luck living lives of quiet desperation.

Of course the bad apples are going to be more visible with their car graveyards out the front the fighting and the drinking and worse. And grouping people together in an estate tends to create one bully on each estate that makes everyone's lives a misery.

In any case, public housing like a lot of welfare could be seen as a form of investment. There have been many great figures who managed to use the dole and public housing to make something of themselves, something that would have been harder to acomplish if one were homeless and destitute.

However my opinion is of course skewed having been a recipient of such welfare and while you are rightly annoyed at having to pay a portion of your taxes to support those in need I will forever be grateful for the taxpayer supporting me long enough so I could become a contributing member of society.

 

[crest133]

I think the DOH keeps the flies off our picnic
Cheers
crest133

 

[Dazz]

Nicely put.

 

[jaycee]

Well it's been a good two decades since I was a Department of Housing tenant but I might be able to help you out here.

When we lived in Department of Housing properties we did have inspections. We were also under a lot more scrutiny. My mother had her boyfriend over one night, two days later a representative from the Department of Housing was on our doorstep asking her about unauthorised guests.

As Department of Housing tenants we were very aware that our obligations were greater than that of the average tenant and thus we really did have to behave. Otherwise out on the street for us. My mother wanred us of the exact same thing, in her mind it was true also, while she was renting the place long,eventually purchased it and continued to keep it in the same condition

Of course kids being kids we used to make a hell of a noise playing in the backyard. Fortunately one of our neighbours (owner occupied) put an end to that by shooting one of his guns at us. We learnt our lesson and never played in the backyard ever again.
That sounds unfortuante to me, shooting guns at kids is acceptable behaviour (what woudl the view of many be if that person was in a DOH house, what were you doing torturing his pets ?, kids should be able to "play" in their own yard, they are children for Christ's sake

As for the conditions of the place, yeah, I have to agree, some of these tenants are pigs. We should know as whenever we moved to a different property we would most of the time have to clean up the place. Everything from the usual poor cleaning to one place where we had to rip the carpets and lay down new ones because the previous tenants let their dogs crap everywhere. These were all paid from our own pocket.
True too, I remember asking my mum why she had to fix this, firx that, she quickly sniped back becuse that's how life is, who do oyu think will pay for it, what do you think will happen if we ask them to fix it ? Do you want to live in a highrise 1 bedroom flat instead

As I've said, it's been a long time since I've lived in DOH stock but I think you might be disapointed to find if you looked through most of these houses you'd find ordinary people struck down by illness or bad luck living lives of quiet desperation.

Of course the bad apples are going to be more visible with their car graveyards out the front the fighting and the drinking and worse. And grouping people together in an estate tends to create one bully on each estate that makes everyone's lives a misery.
The problem is related to issues that make pple behave like that, and no, like the rest of the world, we have not completely solved our problems in this regard.. maybe more effort in that

In any case, public housing like a lot of welfare could be seen as a form of investment. There have been many great figures who managed to use the dole and public housing to make something of themselves, something that would have been harder to acomplish if one were homeless and destitute.

However my opinion is of course skewed having been a recipient of such welfare and while you are rightly annoyed at having to pay a portion of your taxes to support those in need I will forever be grateful for the taxpayer supporting me long enough so I could become a contributing member of society. Amen, for let's not forget we are the same people who go on about living in this lucky country

Why not sue the police force & judicial system for allowing crime to continue etc etc the list goes on....